SDMS Sound News

December 31, 2001
Volume 3, Issue 12

Table of Contents

1. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer Designated as a Separate Occupation

The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. Revised every two years, the Handbook describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations.

For more information, visit:

2. Complaints Against Sonographers

The ARDMS has a series of actions that may be taken in the case of registrant non-compliance. These include:

2.6.4. Review of Applications and Certificates:

2.6.4.1. ARDMS may deny, revoke, or otherwise take action with regard to application for certification or recertification or with regard to the certification of an applicant or registrant in the case of:
2.6.4.1.1. Ineligibility for ARDMS certification;
2.6.4.1.2. Irregularity in connection with any ARDMS examination;
2.6.4.1.3. Unauthorized possession of, use of, or access to ARDMS examinations, documents or materials;
2.6.4.1.4. Material misrepresentation or fraud: (i) regarding ARDMS certification or (ii) in any statement to ARDMS, including but not limited to statements made to, assist the applicant, registrant or another to apply for, obtain or retain certification;
2.6.4.1.5. Revocation, suspension, or other disciplinary action by a state licensing board, Federal agency or national professional association; or
2.6.4.1.6. The conviction of, plea of guilty or plea of nolo contendere to a crime (felony and/or misdemeanor) which is directly related to public health or the provision of diagnostic medical sonography or vascular technology services.

For specific information on how to file a complaint regarding ARDMS-registered sonographers, contact the ARDMS.

3. Keep Georgia on Your Mind

October 3-6, 2002
Hilton Atlanta Hotel
Atlanta, Georgia

Ever since the huge success of the 18th Annual Conference in Las Vegas, we've asked you to 'Keep Georgia on your Mind'. That's because the great city of Atlanta will host the SDMS 19th Annual Conference, October 3-6, 2002, at the Hilton Atlanta Hotel. The Hilton, conveniently located in downtown Atlanta, offers superb accommodations and amenities.

Whether you take a bus, plane, or that famous 'Midnight Train', plan now to make tracks to the SDMS Annual Conference. Registration is your ticket to a first-class experience! Look for your Annual Conference brochure in April. Until then, here's a sneak preview of some of what's on board for 2002:

• NEW! Puzzle the Pros- Watch as your fellow sonographers attempt to puzzle the pros with unusual and bizarre case presentations! They may even call on you for help.
• NEW! Day with the Experts with 'ExpertCam', a unique and interactive approach to live scanning demonstrations by the experts
• NEW! Debates between faculty on controversial, hot topics
• NEW! Intriguing new formats for course presentations

With more than 60 presentations to select from, you can easily design an outstanding three-day curriculum to suit your personal interests.

The SDMS Annual Conference is the most comprehensive forum for sonography education. It also provides excellent opportunities to interact with SDMS leaders, expert faculty, and peers.

Whether you are a first-time attendee or a seasoned veteran, you're sure to enjoy the collegiality, the education, and the renewal. Plan on making this premier conference your final destination for continuing education, networking, and a peach of a good time!

4. New SDMS Competition --- Puzzle the Pros!

Call for Puzzlers (Bizarre Cases)

What is it?

At the 2002 Annual Conference, sonographers will attempt to 'Puzzle the Pros' -with bizarre case presentations. Experts in several specialty areas will be challenged and maybe even stumped by off-the-wall cases. They may even call on audience members as their life-line!

We need your help. Please send us your strange but real cases for consideration. If your case is selected, you will be invited to present it to the Pros on Saturday, October 5, 2002. Each case presenter will receive an honorarium of $50.00.

Puzzler Criteria: intriguing, bizarre, unusual presentation of a common pathology

1) Brief patient history
2) 5 high quality images to support the case
3) Documentation of confirmed diagnosis
4) Relevant clinical information- e.g., lab test results
5) Interventions
6) Post-intervention/follow-up

Time frames: 5 minutes for presentation; 5 minutes for questions from the Pros; 5 minute wrap up

Submit a brief summary of your case including the six elements above to Sandra Riggins at the SDMS Headquarters via email at sriggins@sdms.org or via regular mail to PO Box 865109, Plano, TX 75086-5109 postmarked no later than April 5, 2002. The Conference Management Committee will select winning cases. Winners will be notified by May 1.

5. Call for Interesting Cases

Have you always wanted to speak at the SDMS Annual Conference but are haunted by the prospect of presenting a full hour session?

Here's your chance for 15 minutes of fame! Join the faculty of the SDMS 19th Annual Conference in Atlanta, October 3-6, 2002 by submitting a case study for consideration. If your case is selected, you will be invited to present it to the conference attendees on Friday, October 4, 2002. Each case presenter will receive an honorarium of $50.00.

Definition of an Interesting Case

1) Interesting or uncommon presentations of case
2) Classic presentation of uncommon condition

Criteria for Presentation

1) Brief patient history and clinical presentation
2) Documentation of all relevant lab results
3) Interventions
4) Post-intervention/follow-up
5) All identifying patient information must be deleted from images/documents
6) High quality images
7) PowerPoint or slide format

Submit a brief summary of your case including the following:

• Brief patient history and clinical presentation
• Documentation of all relevant lab results
• Interventions
• Post-intervention/follow-up

6. Recruitment and Retention of Ultrasound Professionals

In a feature article appearing in the December 3, 2001 ADVANCE for Imaging and Oncology Administrators, SDMS' President, Kevin Evans discusses strategies for recruiting and retaining ultrasound professionals. To read the article, visit:

7. SDMS CME Tracker Automates CME Submission - Update

On September 1, 2001, the SDMS, in partnership with the ARDMS, announced a new SDMS membership benefit for CME tracking and reporting called SDMS CME Tracker. SDMS CME Tracker provides SDMS members with an automated, individualized CME tracking log, and reporting of completed CME activities to the ARDMS.

In its first 4 months, SDMS CME Tracker has electronically transferred more than 17,500 CME credits to the ARDMS...saving our members time and money!

You don't have to sign-up for SDMS CME Tracker (just make sure we have your ARDMS # on file and remain a SDMS member). For more information, visit:

8. Who is a Typical SDMS Member?

What constitutes a "typical" SDMS member? Here are a few brief demographics (as of 12/31/01).

Average Age: 41

Youngest: 18

Oldest: 77

9. Sonography Awareness Month Slogan Contest

Sonography Awareness Month is intended to recognize sonographers' contributions to healthcare. This celebration honoring sonographers worldwide is celebrated every October. SDMS is sponsoring a contest for the 2002 slogan for Sonography Awareness Month. To get the ideas flowing, here are just a few of the slogans from previous years: "Image is Everything", "United We Scan", "Sonography: Moving at the Speed of 'ultra' Sound", and "Sonography: the Future is in Our Scans". You do not need to be an artist - SDMS will take care of the artwork. All you need to do is submit a slogan that represents the sonography profession.

You may submit several ideas.

The winner will be announced in the News Wave and will be awarded $100 worth of Sonography Awareness Month merchandise!

Submit your slogan idea(s) along with your name and address to:

Amy Lysdale, SDMS
2745 Dallas Pkwy, Ste 350, Plano, TX 75093-8730
Fax: (214) 473-8563
Email: alysdale@sdms.org

Deadline for entries is February 4, 2002.

10. November 2001 Scholarship Winners Named

The SDMS Educational Foundation would like to congratulate the following students scholarship winners:

Students attending CAAHEP accredited or CMA approved programs are eligible to apply for scholarships through the SDMS Educational Foundation. Scholarships are awarded three times yearly and are awarded based on financial need and academic merit.

For more information on SDMS Education Foundation scholarships, visit:

11. News & Notes

The News & Notes column includes links to web-based news articles of interest to sonographers. To submit articles, send the URL to webmaster@sdms.org.

Medicare database shows radiologists losing turf
  http://www.auntminnie.com/index.asp?Sec=nws&Sub=rad&Pag=dis&ItemId=52419

Virtual Sonography Through the Internet: Volume Compression Issues
  http://www.jmir.org/2001/2/e21/

New diagnosis guidelines could affect your operations and reimbursement
  http://www.auntminnie.com/index.asp?Sec=nws&Sub=rad&Pag=dis&ItemId=52390

A National Town Meeting: On Regulating Healthcare Privacy and Data Security - HIPAA and Beyond
http://www.hipaalearn.com/summit3.asp

3-D ultrasound of fetal brain aids focused postnatal management
  http://www.auntminnie.com/index.asp?sec=sup&sub=ult&pag=dis&ItemId=52387

12. Important Dates