SDMS Sound News, Volume 9, Issue 5

Volume 9, Issue 5 May 31, 2007 ISSN 1543-0448

In This Issue...

Vote Today in the SDMS 2007 Elections!
2007 SDMS Annual Conference Registration Now Open!
Member Survey: An iPod^® for your thoughts!
SVU Joins Alliance to Support the CARE Bill
Attempt by Oregon Rad Tech Board to License Sonographers Thwarted
Employer Recognition
News & Notes
Important Dates

This issue of SDMS Sound News is sponsored by the
SDMS Educational Foundation.

SDMS Sound News is a way of sharing important or time-sensitive news with our members. It supplements our print newsletter, News Wave, and provides links to new information and services available on the SDMS web site. SDMS Sound News is published monthly. An archive of past issues is available at http://www.sdms.org/lists/soundnewsarchive.asp.



	SDMS Member: [[FirstName]] [[LastName]] Membership Expires: [[ExpDate]] Email Address: [[Email]]



	1. Vote Today in the SDMS 2007 Elections! Cast your vote today and let your voice be heard! The SDMS "Virtual Voting Booth" is open through Friday, June 29. To learn more about the candidates or to cast your vote, simply go to: http://www.sdms.org/members/vote/default.asp You must be an SDMS member in good standing to vote in this election. SDMS membership categories which include the ‘right to vote’ are: Active Fellow Advanced Practice Sonographer Associate The candidates for open positions in the 2007 Elections are: President Elect Catherine Carr-Hoefer Charlotte Henningsen Vice President Nancy Chouinard Joy Guthrie Secretary Katie Kuntz Cindy Owen Treasurer Lindi Quinn Felicia Toreno At-Large Director Jill Herzog Doug Jones Mani Montazemi Marsha Neumyer Joleen Rodriguez Ted Scott Finance Committee Cheryl Boodt Michael Hartman Anthony Swartz Nominating Committee Katherine Bittner Robert DeJong Brenda Hoopingarner Rachel Kendoll Richie Palma



	2. 2007 SDMS Annual Conference Registration Now Open! Join us at the new Red Rock Casino Resort Spa in Las Vegas, October 11-14, for the 2007 SDMS Annual Conference! Twelve miles from the neon lights of the Las Vegas strip we're bringing you the perfect balance of excitement and relaxation. In your down time, roll the dice at Red Rock's in-house casino or visit the "sinfully-sweet" Cherry Nightclub. If you need a break from the rock star life, unwind with a shiatsu massage or a Champagne Pedicures and Caviar Creams treatment at the resort's incredible spa. Not so lucky at the blackjack tables? Come take advantage of a sure-thing: the chance to get up to 18.5 CME credits in a mere three days. This is one bet you can't lose! Reasons to Register Early! Save $100 on your 3-day conference registration by registering on or before August 10th. The last time the SDMS Annual Conference was held in Las Vegas, it completely sold out...before the early registration deadline! If you register online, you will automatically be entered in a drawing to win a FREE registration for the 2008 SDMS Annual Conference at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT! To register online, visit http://www.sdms.org/meetings/register.asp



	3. Member Survey: An iPod^® for your thoughts! Take our survey for a chance to win an Apple iPod^® Complete the survey by June 7, 2007! SAGE Publications, publishers of the Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JDMS), is sponsoring an ad perception study of the May/June issue. This survey is conducted by Readex Research, an independent research firm. In an effort to provide you with the highest quality journal, we need your contribution. Please follow the link below to complete our short survey regarding the advertising and products featured in JDMS. Your answers are confidential and will only be used for tabulation. Don’t forget to enter the drawing at the end of the survey for a chance to win an Apple iPod Nano 2GB. Thank you for your participation. This offer is provided by Readex and is not endorsed by or affiliated with Apple Computer, Inc. Complete the survey by June 7, 2007 at: http://www.readexsurvey.com/jdms/survey.asp



	4. SVU Joins Alliance to Support the CARE Bill The Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) has announced that it has officially joined the Alliance in support of the CARE bill currently pending in Congress. SVU noted that it would be involved in grassroots efforts designed to promote passage of the bill. The CARE bill (HR 583, S 1042) would establish credentialing and education standards for sonographers providing ultrasound services. SVU will be joining two other ultrasound-related organizations within the Alliance, the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS) and the SDMS, in promoting the CARE bill.



	5. Attempt by Oregon Rad Tech Board to License Sonographers Thwarted The Oregon Board of Radiologic Technology (OBRT) developed and attempted to pass a bill in the Oregon Legislature (SB-144) which would have created a new ‘imaging’ board requiring the licensure of sonographers practicing within the state, but with no representation on the agency’s governing board. SDMS attempted to work with the OBRT in seeking the exclusion of sonography from the bill’s provisions, but the agency’s leadership rejected all suggestions for compromise. As a result of the OBRT’s position, SDMS, along with a number of other ultrasound-related organizations, aggressively opposed the bill. SDMS expressed its concern to Oregon legislators that the OBRT had failed to contact or consider any of the sonography stakeholder organizations with constituencies that would be brought in under its regulatory umbrella should the bill pass. Oregon-based sonographers also took an active role in sharing their concerns with legislative decision-makers. The bill ‘died’ in the Oregon House Health Care Committee.



	6. Employer Recognition On April 16, 2005, the SDMS Board of Directors approved the following position statement relating to Sonographer Credentialing: Provision of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) procedures requires that the sonographer performing the exam be credentialed by a nationally-recognized sonography credentialing organization. In the view of the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS), there is a strong need for requisite sonographer credentialing, because medical ultrasound services are highly operator-dependent. To insure patient safety, the sonographer shall demonstrate broad-based knowledge, good judgment, and appropriate real-time discretion to acquire the images and data used by the physician who interprets the studies. Does your employer require that you pass and maintain one or more Registry credentials? Is this practice true for all sonographers in your lab? If so, SDMS would like to officially thank and recognize your employer for hiring and supporting only credentialed sonographers. Please have your manager or laboratory administrator send a letter to SDMS, on your facility’s letterhead, indicating that all sonographers in your facility are credentialed. When this verification is received, SDMS will send your facility a “Credentialed Sonographer Workplace” certificate of recognition. Additional public recognition will also be given by listing your facility’s name on a special page on our website. Please send your letter to Dawn Sanchez at the SDMS Headquarters. If you have any questions, you may reach Dawn at dsanchez@sdms.org.



	7. News & Notes 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. Diagnostic ultrasound could provide automated method of fingerprint identification and much more http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=70032 Focused ultrasound eases fibroid symptoms http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2007/05/30/hscout605015.html Effectiveness of ultrasound for axillary nerve location http://www.frca.co.uk/content.aspx?pageid=1&content=624&bindType=default Ultrasound screening may catch ovarian cancer early http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070528/hl_nm/ultrasound_dc

8. Important Dates

May 21 - June 29	SDMS 2007 Elections Virtual Voting Booth Open
June 1	Deadline to review and comment on the draft National Education Curriculum for Sonography
June 30	SDMS Educational Foundation Research Awards deadline
June 30	Resume/CV deadline for open positions on the SDMS Educational Foundation Board of Directors
July 31	SDMS Educational Foundation Scholarship deadline
July 31	SDMS Educational Foundation CME Grants deadline
August 1	2007 SDMS Annual Conference Poster Competition applications deadline
August 10	2007 SDMS Annual Conference early registration ends
October 9 - 10	Fall Board of Directors Meeting, Las Vegas, NV
October 11 - 14	2007 SDMS Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV
November 30	SDMS Educational Foundation Scholarship deadline



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