SDMS Sound News

August 27, 2001
Volume 3, Issue 8

Table of Contents

1. SDMS Annual Conference is SOLD OUT!

Due to the overwhelming response, we have had to stop accepting registrations for the SDMS Annual Conference in Las Vegas! Registrations submitted (faxed or postmarked) by the early bird deadline (August 23) will continue to be processed.

No late or on-site registrations can be accepted (although guest passes to the Exhibit Hall will still be available at the conference registration desk). We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause, but record registration numbers have forced us to take this step to ensure a quality experience for all participants. The SDMS Annual Conference has become the Sonography "meeting of choice".

With the record attendance, the Riviera Hotel & Casino is sold out! If you haven't made hotel reservations, rooms may still be available at nearby hotels including:

• Stardust (800) 634-6757
• Circus Circus (800) 634-3450
• Hilton (800) 732-7117

• Sahara (888) 696-2121

If you weren't able to attend this year's conference, remember to "Keep Georgia on Your Mind!" Mark your calendar now for next year (and plan to register early!):

SDMS 19th Annual Conference
October 3 - 6, 2002
Hilton Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia

2. SDMS Election Results Announced

President Laurinda Andrist 619   Kathy Gill 313   Write-in 1 Vice President   Charlotte Brookshire-Quinn 348 Rebecca Hall 570   Write-in 2 Secretary   Pamela Crawford 240 Lori Koziol 672   Write-in 1 Treasurer Carolyn Coffin 565   Mark Lawson 341   Write-in 1

Commercial Representative Mary Render 816   Write-in 5 Region 1   Shanon Boswell 50 Cathy Carr-Hoefer 99   Write-in 0 Region 5 Kerry Weinberg 188   Write-in 0 Region 6 Anne Conner-Day 123   Charlotte G. Henningsen 85   Write-in 0

3. Foundation Names Scholarship Winners

Each year the Foundation awards scholarships to students attending CAAHEP accredited programs. These scholarships are funded through your donations to the Foundation and from the sale of the Foundation's products. The following is a list of 2001 scholarship recipients:

March Scholarships	School
Donna Allen	Del Mar College
Paula Husky	Bellevue Community College
Amie Majerus	Spokane Community College
Sara Mumpower	Chattanooga State Technical College
Maribel Munoz	Miami-Dade Community College
Katherine Stimets-Vidal	Austin Community College
Deanna Williams	Austin Community College

July Scholarships	School
Trina Calver	Hudson Valley Community College
Khady Fall	New York University
Angela Woodall	Univ. of Oklahoma Health Science Center
Brandy Sundberg	Univ. of Nebraska Medical Center
Khareem Burkli	Miami-Dade Community College
Halima Quintana	Miami-Dade Community College

Two special scholarships have been endowed through the Foundation and scholarship recipients chosen each July:

The SDMS Presidential Scholarship, established as the Foundation's most prestigious scholarship, is awarded annually to a student who displays a clearly defined high level of excellence in academics, as well as the drive that epitomizes the ultrasound professional. The 2001 recipient of the SDMS Presidential Scholarship is Phyll Hurley from the University of Colorado Hospital program.

The Trudy Dubinsky Memorial Scholarship was created in memory of Trudy Dubinsky whose life was taken in a tragic accident, but whose love and dedication to ultrasound was apparent. This scholarship is awarded each July to a student who exhibits the dedication, professionalism, and love of ultrasound that personified Trudy Dubinsky. The 2001 recipient of the SDMS Trudy Dubinsky Memorial Scholarship is Larenda Bailey from the Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Please join us in congratulating the recipients of these scholarships and in wishing them all the best in their careers in sonography!

4. SDMS Goes "On Record" With Ergonomic Comments

The new Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao, has called for public hearings and comment related to the issue of ergonomics and worksite injuries following the Bush Administration's rollback of OSHA ergonominc rules passed in the last days of the Clinton administration. SDMS had requested a public hearing slot to present its evidence and comments, but this request was denied. Alternatively, the SDMS filed a lengthy set of comments with the Secretary of Labor which are now part of the ergonomics issue "official record". A brief summary of the key points in the SDMS' ergonomics comment filing include:

• 80+% of ultrasound professionals sustain some level of work-related injury during their professional careers
• 20% of sonographers ultimately must retire from their profession due to physical incapacity directly related to musculoskeletal injury
• Continued loss of sonographers due to MSI exacerbates the already existing shortage of experienced sonographers across the county, further decreasing patient access to important health care services
• Sonographers are being forced to increase the number of hours they spend scanning. Longer periods of scanning mean greater wear and tear on a sonographer's body.
• Financial impact of injured sonographers is significant: $10,000 per week in billable revenue per injured sonographer, worker's compensation costs of $32,000 per injury, $60,000-$80,000 per year in replacement staff costs, and $20,000 per year in medical bills for non-surgical shoulder injury to sonographers
• Suggested employer solutions include: ergonomically-designed ultrasound equipment, appropriately-adjustable ancillary equipment, and employer support of worker safety

The full text of the SDMS ergonomics comments are available at:

5. SDMS Offers Members New Insurance Programs

SDMS is pleased to announce a new benefit for our members!

Amica Mutual Insurance Company has been selected as our affinity partner for personal lines insurance. Amica is regarded as the best insurance company in the country for auto and home insurance because of its superior customer service and competitive rates. Amica consistently receives top ratings from consumer groups and industry analysts. Amica is a national company with offices throughout the country.

Watch your mail for more information about Amica coming this fall. Amica will also have a booth at our Annual Conference in Las Vegas. If you can't wait for the mailing, feel free to call Amica directly at 800-242-6422 to sample their service and pricing. Don't forget to tell them you are a member of SDMS!

6. Sonography Awareness Month Approaching

If you haven't ordered your Sonography Awareness Month items, order today to ensure they arrive before Sonography Awareness Month begins (October 1). This year, we have a number of new items to help expand your celebrations and promote your profession including:

• Balloons
• Bumper Stickers
• Buttons
• Mugs
• Posters
• Stickers
• T-Shirts

For more information, visit:

7. FDA Approves New Contrast Agent For Ultrasound

In August, the FDA approved a ultrasound contrast agent called Definity^TM (Vial for Perflutren Lipid Microsphere Injectable Suspension). Approved for use in echocardiography studies, Definity is the first and only ultrasound contrast agent in the U.S. that is non-blood derived, eliminating the risks and concerns associated with the use of blood-based products.

By improving the visualization of the primary pumping chamber of the heart, ultrasound with contrast agents may better distinguish between normal and abnormal heart structure and motion. In clinical trials, contrast agents have been proven to provide more accurate assessments of segmental wall motion versus unenhanced images and make statistically significant improvements in endocardial border delineation. With the use of a contrast agent, doctors hope to provide earlier and more definitive diagnoses for millions of difficult-to-image patients at risk for heart disease.

  Definity^TM is a trademark of the DuPont Pharmaceuticals Company.

For more information on the use of contrast agents in ultrasound, SDMS has an educational product, Ultrasound Contrast Media and IV Insertion Techniques which is available in video and CD-ROM formats and features CME credits. For more information, visit:

8. 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.

SDMS Virtual Exhibit Hall
  http://www.sdms.org/meetings/vhall/default.asp

Sonographers see their employment star rise
  http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/07/29/unsorted/SONO29.htm

DOL Ergonomic Forums Mirrored in Congressional Hearings
  http://www.ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=376

Liberty Mutual Releases Workplace Injury and Cost Data
  http://www.ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=395

CMS (HCFA) Finalizes Proposed Changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment system for 2002
  http://www.hcfa.gov/regs/cms1159p.htm

9. Important Dates