The cardiotesting lab at my medical center is ICAEL accredited which is a good thing. The technical director is a registered echocardiographer, but at least half of her staff is not registered because they do not make it a requirement. When I asked her why not she gave me a reason, or excuse, (which is in my e-mail at work and I don't remember - sorry), but I do not agree with nonregistered staff performing sonographic exams. However, because ICAEL does not require all echocardiograpers to be registered, her department can get by not requiring all echocardiographers to be registered. It doesn't help the cause for requiring certification for the "technical staff" when all of the accrediting bodies do not make it a requirement. Why is that anyway?

Deb

Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 11:30:52 -0400
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: recertification
To: [log in to unmask]

one question regarding the cardiotesting lab at your facility, are there are group or groups of cardiologists who compete with the inpatient lab and perhaps are not inspired to make the lab the best it can be???

Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 11:57:54 -0500
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: recertification
To: [log in to unmask]

I too have earned APS membership status in the SDMS in vascular sonography and am very proud of it. While it may be "simply a membership category" to some, those of us that have worked hard to achieve this are very proud indeed. I agree with you that it has nothing to do with the ARDMS and recertification, but it is very important to those of us that have worked so hard to earn it and shouldn't be made light of.

However, recertification is the topic here, but I would like to see more effort put forth to require certification to be able to practice sonography in the first place. While I appreciate the efforts that some states have already put into place I would like to see all states move forward and require certification for everyone in the sonographic profession. It continues to burn my butt that certification is not a requirement to practice sonography, and I suppose the fact that some employers do not make certification a requirement for the sonographers they hire doesn't help. In the radiology-based ultrasound department that I work in we require certification for all sonographers within one year of hire and all 15 of us are registered. The cardiotesting department in my medical center has a separate group of echocardiographers performing those sonograms and it is the policy of their department to make certification optional. I simply do not understand that and certainly don't agree with it.

Back to recertification: I have no problem with that, but by the time I will need to take the tests (and it will be five exams since I am registered in five specialties) I will be approaching retirement age and it may all be a moot point!

Have a good day everybody!

Deborah L. Richert, BSVT, RDMS, RVT

La Crosse, WI

Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 07:27:30 -0700
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: recertification
To: [log in to unmask]

Your "APS" is simply a membership category within the SDMS. It is a membership category for recognition within the SDMS just like the senior and fellow membership category. It is not recognized by the ARDMS or even the SVU.

Don't confuse the SDMS APS membership category with anything outside of the SDMS society. I know that it requires a lot of hard work to get initially and keep active. Why would you be against everyone having to up their game in the wider world?

--- On Wed, 5/19/10, Doug <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

From: Doug <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: recertification
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2010, 9:05 AM

Yeah... This whole thing stinks... Humbly speaking, the "APS" status that I achieved years back in vascular technolody (albeit through the SDMS) requires that I submit annually not only that I Have 15 vascular specific CMEs(per year) but also a NOTARIZED templated document, signed by a supervising physician, stating I have at least "X" amount of scans performed anually (think it's 800, non-issue). So If the ARDMS is concerned about non-practicing persons meeting their CME requirements, then maybe institute this type of documentation. Granted their are people that probably know ways to jump thru any loop-hole, but that's their character defect... Just a thought

D

PS.. I like RVT2(squared). Lol

Doug Marcum
RDMS,RDCS,RVT(APS),RPhS
*Advanced Ultrasound Consultants
*Global Vein Solutions
www.advancedusconsultants.com
[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
321-231-2191
Sent from my iPhone

On May 19, 2010, at 9:23 AM, Nancy Williams <[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> From the ARDMS home page
> ..."that ARDMS should have a measurable way to assure that Registrants
> are knowledgeable in current day practice. Continuing Medical Education
> (CME) credits alone cannot prove that an ARDMS Registrant continues to
> meet the minimum core sonography clinical skills in present day
> practice;..."
>
> So in effect what the ARDMS is stating is that for the past twenty years
> the work I have been doing every day, combined with my daily clinical
> applications and the mandatory CME's was, what? a waste of my time? I
> agree that someone who is not working cannot hope to keep their skill
> level up by doing CME's, but to tell hard working technologists that
> their experience on the job everyday is not proof enough that they meet
> the " minimum core sonography clinical skills in present day practice;"
> is insane! I measure my technologists core sonography skills every day.
> They have to be certified, they have to do CME's and even still I do a
> rigorous QA and now I have to tell them that there is yet another hoop
> they have to jump through? Oy Vey!
>
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