The Society's newsletter, SDMS News Wave, is published in an electronic-only (PDF) format on the SDMS website. Articles appearing in the February 2010 issue of SDMS News Wave include:

1. Current Trends in Echocardiography
2. Letter From the President
3. Member Benefit Spotlight - SDMS Salary & Benefit Survey Reports
4. SDMS Foundation Announces First 2010 Scholarship Recipients
5. February iPod Touch Winner
6. SDMS Announces the 2010 SDMS Annual Conference Sponsorship and Exhibit Program
7. SDMS Foundation Receives IRS Tax-Exempt Status
8. New Member Scan
9. Upcoming Webinars
10. SDMS Fellow Spotlight
11. Upcoming SDMS Webinars
12. SDMS Welcomes New Members

NOTE: These headlines link directly to SDMS News Wave in Adobe PDF format, which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader 8.0 or later. You can download a free copy at the Adobe website.

Deadline: March 1, 2010

Joan P. Baker Pioneer Award
The Joan P. Baker Pioneer Award was established to honor sonographers who have made unique and outstanding contributions to the sonography profession. Selection is based on contributions which have advanced or changed the face of sonography and increased the knowledge and/or welfare of sonographers.

Completed nomination forms should be sent to awards@sdms.org by March 1, 2010.

SDMS Distinguished Educator Award
The SDMS Distinguished Educator Award is designed to honor exceptional educators in the field of diagnostic medical sonography. Nominees should demonstrate excellence in didactic and/or clinical education within his or her educational institution, incorporate innovative educational strategies, programs and/or courses within his or her educational institution, and have authored a sonography publication(s) published by a nationally recognized publisher (e.g. textbook, chapter in textbook, and/or peer-reviewed journal article).

Participate in live presentations or watch the recordings at your convenience. Then take the test for instant CME credit, absolutely free for SDMS members.

The SDMS Webinar Series is a series of live or recorded CME presentations delivered via the Internet to SDMS members conveniently to their home or work computer. Using your computer and a phone, you have access to exciting information presented by world-class sonographers. The SDMS Webinar Series is available FREE to current SDMS members.

Even you are unable to participate in these live webinars, you can still view a recording of the webinar.

SDMS Sonography Puzzles

SDMS Sonography Puzzles are a series of online crossword and word search puzzles that sonography educators can incorporate into their educational programs or can be used by students and sonographers just for fun. The puzzles are interactive and a fun way to learn sonography-related terminology.

The March puzzle is titled Abdomen Sonopuzzle

Call for Puzzles!
You can help by becoming a contributor to SDMS Sonography Puzzles. Submit your word lists (or make it a project for your students or co-workers to submit) and SDMS will convert each word list into both a crossword and a word search puzzle.

The News & Notes column includes links to web-based news articles of interest to sonographers. The articles do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of the SDMS. To submit articles, send the URL to webmaster@sdms.org.

• Initiative to Reduce Unnecessary Radiation Exposure from Medical Imaging
  http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/RadiationSafety/RadiationDoseReduction/ucm199904.htm



• How Private Insurance Works: A Primer
  http://www.kff.org/insurance/upload/How-Private-Insurance-Works-A-Primer-Report.pdf



• Transient elastography cuts liver biopsy rate in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
  http://www.auntminnie.com/index.asp?Sec=sup&Sub=ult&Pag=dis&ItemId=89286&wf=3556



• Molecular imaging technique uses ultrasound and microscopic bubbles to target cancer cells
  http://www.physorg.com/news186661066.html