1. Breast Ultrasound Exam Simulation CD-ROM Released
2. Calling All Site Visitors - The JRC-DMS Needs You!
3. Coding/Reimbursement Products Now Available
4. Societies Join Together to Promote Medical Ultrasound Awareness
5. Call for Judges for the SDMS 2003 Awards Program
6. Call for Puzzlers and Interesting Cases
7. BIG Time in BIG D — Countdown to Registration!
8. SDMS Product Catalog To Appear in JDMS
9. News & Notes
10. Important Dates

Take the guesswork out of your preparation for the national certification examinations! Like the ARDMS certification exams, each exam is timed to simulate a real test-taking experience. The CD contains 360 questions and you earn up to 19 CME credits while preparing for the ARDMS Breast Ultrasound examination.

For more information, visit:

  submitted by Katie Kuntz, Chair, JRC-DMS

Perhaps it's been a couple of years since you've participated in a site visit. Maybe you took some time off to pursue an advanced degree or spend some time with your family. Regardless, if it's been a few years and you've been thinking about getting back into site visiting, the JRC-DMS could really use your help. Currently, there are approximately 30 programs that are in the accreditation process. And, if you do the math, that means we need about 60 site visitors in order to meet the need. The JRC-DMS has a current list of about 15-20 active site visitors. We will pair you up with one of these experienced site visitors to make the transition back into active site visiting as painless as possible. Some of the programs on the list were slated to have site visits in February or March and we were forced to put them 'on hold'. Many more programs are anticipating a site visit in April or May. Please help! We need you now more than ever!

Call the Fran Schoen at the JRC-DMS (800 284-3937, ext 238) and identify yourself as a site visitor. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

SDMS has added several coding and reimbursement products to its extensive product list. SDMS, in partnership with JR Associates, a recognized leader in ultrasound and cardiovascular coding/reimbursement, training, education and publishing, is providing SDMS members with an exclusive discount when you buy the following print or CD-ROM products from SDMS:

Coding Reference Guides

Improve your organization’s reimbursement efficiency and accuracy with these comprehensive, easy-to-use guides. These guides answer all your questions about coverage and coding by linking CPT procedure codes to ICD-9 diagnosis codes based on current payer policies. Also available on CD-ROM and in print.

Cardiovascular Coding Reference Guide

An indispensable coding and reimbursement tool for physician practices and hospital departments performing cardiovascular procedures: angioplasty, atherectomy and stents; cardiac cath; echocardiography; ECG; holter and event monitors; nuclear medicine; pacemaker monitoring; stress tests; and vascular ultrasound. [More...] (2003)

CME Credits: Not available

Ultrasound Coding Reference Guide

An indispensable coding and reimbursement tool for ultrasound specialties: abdominal, echocardiography, guidance, OB/GYN, pelvic, small parts, urology, and vascular. [More...] (2003)

CME Credits: Not available

Ultrasound Practice Tool Kits

Designed by a former accrediting agency examiner, these invaluable guides step-in when you need them most—during the critical analysis and decision-making process that leads to your final sonography findings. What’s more, they meet compliance requirements for all accrediting agencies: ACR, AIUM, ICAEL, ICAVL, and JCAHO. (2003)

• Save precious time by quickly creating your own customized testing policy and procedure manual
• Multiple choice format - no need for cumbersome templates
• Provides all the information you need - exam protocols, procedures, indications, equipment specification, diagnostic criteria and more
• Footnoted throughout with literary references
• Includes accrediting agency requirements

For more information (including the table of contents for each toolkit), please visit:

Recognizing the importance of increasing public awareness of medical ultrasound and promoting its value in health care, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM), the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS), and the Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) have joined together to sponsor Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month in October 2003.

The goal of Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month is to increase the public's knowledge about medical ultrasound. The 2003 campaign will focus specifically on acquainting patients with some of the terminology related to medical ultrasound, including terms such as echocardiography, sonographer, sonologist, Doppler, peripheral arterial disease, and more.

The AIUM, ASE, SDMS, and SVU are encouraging members of the medical community to participate in Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month by familiarizing and educating their patients about medical ultrasound through specially planned activities and educational materials.

To assist ultrasound professionals with planning activities for Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month, a free information kit, which includes an ultrasound fact and terminology sheet, a list of suggested activities, logos to use in promotional materials, and information on how to get the media and local government involved will be made available.

To request more information or a free Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month information kit, contact any of the sponsoring organizations listed below or visit their websites for details.

Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month is a collaborative effort of the AIUM, ASE, SDMS, and SVU, who share the common goal of familiarizing and educating the public about medical ultrasound and its importance in health care.

The Awards Committee is looking for qualified individuals to serve as judges for this year's Awards Program. SDMS Awards and Competitions consist of the Scientific Presentation Competition, the Sonographer and Student Poster Exhibit Competition, and the W. Frederick Sample Award.

Answer the call to serve and preserve the integrity of this important program! If you are interested in serving as a judge, please submit your letter of interest, indicating which competition you are interested in judging, along with your resume to Sandra Riggins via email at sriggins@sdms.org or mail to the SDMS Headquarters, 2745 Dallas Pkwy, Ste 350, Plano, TX 75093-8730. Your expression of interest must be postmarked no later than May 2, 2003.

For more information on the awards program, visit:

Call for Puzzlers (Bizarre Cases)

At the SDMS 2003 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 18. Each case presenter will receive an honorarium of $50.

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

Elements of the puzzlers should include:

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

Call for Interesting Cases

Have you always wanted to speak at the SDMS 2003 Annual Conference but are haunted by the prospect of presenting a full hour session?

How about 15 minutes? Join the faculty of the SDMS 2003 Annual Conference in Dallas, October 16-19 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 17. Each case presenter will receive an honorarium of $50.

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

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

Soon it will be time to confirm your place at THE educational destination for all sonographers — the SDMS Annual Conference!

SDMS 2003 Annual Conference
October 16-19
Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion
Dallas, Texas

Over 60 courses in five tracks, Ob/Gyn, Abdomen, Vascular, Cardiac, and Practice Strategies. Earn up to 17.5 SDMS CME credits in the 2 ½ day program. An additional 10.0 credits are available through Pre-Conference Tutorials and Lunch and Learn sessions.

The new SDMS Product Catalog will appear inside the May/June issue of the Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JDMS). The inclusion of the SDMS Product Catalog in JDMS allows SDMS to update the catalog as new products become available and to cost-effectively 'put the catalog in your hands' more than once a year.

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

• Common extensor tendon ultrasound aids in tennis elbow imaging
  http://www.auntminnie.com/default.asp?Sec=sup&Sub=ult&Pag=dis&ItemId=57567



• Study Gives MRI Edge Over CT and Ultrasound in Rectal Cancer Staging
  http://www.ardms.org/newswire/03172003/03172003.html#MRI



• Responding to Educational Trends, ARDMS Expands Prerequisite Definitions
  http://www.ardms.org/whatsnew/whatsnew_frameset.html



• Detection of cesarean scars by transvaginal ultrasound
  http://www.usreview.com.au/janfeb2003.htm#Detection



• Color duplex ultrasonography in the diagnosis of temporal arteritis
  http://www.usreview.com.au/janfeb2003.htm#Color