Issues readied for House of Delegates.(American Society of Radiologic Technologists)

The complete resolutions and bylaws are available at www.asrt.org >Governance >What's New.

The ASRT governance restructuring created a new look to the Commissions process this year. Rather than separate Commissions on Administration, Education and Professional Practice, there was just one group meeting in Albuquerque, N.M., on Feb. 23 to make its recommendations to the House of Delegates. It was led by Chairman Pam Tubbs, R.T.(R)(M), FASRT.

In all, 44 resolutions will come before the House. However, 23 of them involve only simple language changes to ASRT position statements. The editorial changes were made for conciseness and clarity. Five resolutions were deemed operational and were sent to the Board of Directors to discuss.

The Commissioners devoted much of their discussion to four resolutions that involved degree requirements.

Resolution 06-2.05, Revision of ASRT Position Statement "Level of Education for the Radiologic Science Profession," referred back to the Commission from last year's House, provoked discussion because it requires upper division coursework in eight specialties.

"Where does this leave fusion and hybrid imaging?" asked ASRT Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer DuVonne Campbell, B.A., R.T.(R)(QM), an advisor to the Commission.

"The upper division coursework should be in the radiologic sciences," said Commission member Bill May, M.Ed., R.T.(R), FASRT. "That leaves it open to whatever comes along."

The Commission recommended adoption of this resolution as amended with Mr. May's suggestion.

Resolution C-07.01, "Degree Requirements for Radiologic Science Didactic Teaching Personnel," sponsored by the Ohio Society of Radiologic Technologists, sought a minimum of a baccalaureate degree by January 2010 for all full-time classroom and laboratory teachers.

Mr. May suggested the profession should ease into a degree requirement within eight years. "We're already looking toward a severe educator shortage," he said.

"I disagree," said Commission member Julie Gill, Ph.D., R.T.(R)(QM). "I did my dissertation on this. Program directors are getting their master's degrees" [in compliance with the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology requirement].

"I think it's time to say that classroom teachers need to have a bachelor's degree," said ASRT Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer Sal Martino, Ed.D., R.T.(R), who was asked by the Commission to address some issues. "The clinical coordinators need to have a bachelor's degree" [by JRCERT requirement].

"Why include a timetable at all?" asked student intern Amanda Garlock.

The Commission agreed to recommend a substitute amendment, which deletes the timetable and requires full-time and part-time teachers to have a bachelor's degree.

Resolution C-07.03, "Entry Level of Education for the Radiologic Science Profession," calls for an associate degree as the entry level requirement for radiologic technologists. The Commission amended the resolution, changing "radiologic technologists" to "radiographers," and then recommended adoption of the amended resolution.

In discussing the resolution, Commissioners noted that with the addition of general education requirements to the entry-level radiography curriculum, the course of study should culminate in an associate degree. Some commissioners expressed concern for the continuance of hospital-based programs. However, the group agreed that articulation agreements with community colleges are not hard to get and that hospital-based programs should pursue them.

The Commission recommended nonadoption of Resolution C-07.09, which asked ASRT to provide models for radiation therapy educational programs to transition to baccalaureate degrees. In recommending nonadoption, Commissioners noted that the resolution was not necessary because ASRT already has developed a baccalaureate-level curriculum for radiation therapy and that it encourages programs to establish articulation agreements.

Commissioners then wrote a new resolution, C-07.10, which asks the ASRT to adopt a position statement that "endorses the baccalaureate degree as the entry level for radiation therapists." Commission members believed that creation of this position statement was necessary to demonstrate ASRT's current philosophy regarding support for the baccalaureate degree for radiation therapists.

The Commission recommended nonadoption of a resolution that would allow national office or chapter delegate candidates to be members of a professional society in their state other than their ASRT affiliate.

The resolution was written by Commission member Ben Morris, B.S., R.T.(R)(T)(CT). He argued that some affiliate societies focus on radiography and do not offer services to individuals who work in other areas of radiologic technology. As a result, those individuals often choose to join a modality-specific professional society instead of their state affiliate society, he said.

Ms. Tubbs countered, "I was under the impression that this was an affiliate organization. If you care that much, why not run for [affiliate] office and change some of the things you don't like? We're trying to unify, not divide the profession."

Non-ASRT organizations would not be accountable to the ASRT and could have different positions on ASRT issues, added Commission member James Temme, M.P.A., R.T.(R)(QM), FASRT.

Two other resolutions that generated a considerable amount of discussion revolved around the use of medical imaging equipment by radiation therapists and limited x-ray machine operators.

Resolution C-07.07, "Use of Imaging Modalities in Radiation Therapy," asked the ASRT to adopt a position statement affirming that it is within the radiation therapist's scope of practice to use "all forms of imaging for the explicit intent of simulation, treatment planning or treatment delivery."

"The key is that it's not diagnostic," said Mr. Temme, in support of the measure.

The Commission amended the resolution, deleting the phrase "all forms of imaging" and instead specifying that it is within the radiation therapist's scope of practice to use "computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and sonography for the explicit intent of simulation, treatment planning or treatment delivery." It recommended adoption of the resolution as amended.

The resolution on LXMOs, referred back from last year's House, listed procedures excluded from the LXMO's scope of practice because in California they are allowed to do imaging procedures except those explicitly denied.

Ms. Tubbs suggested that because every state is different, a new ASRT position statement on LXMOs needs to be adopted.

The resolution was revised to restrict LXMOs' scope of practice to those covered in their ASRT curriculum and to list procedures they are prohibited to practice, including fluoroscopy, contrast, CT, mammography and mobile imaging.

Travis Prowant, R.T.(R)(CV)(CT), and Dale Collins, M.S., R.T.(R)(M)(QM), RDMS, RVT, also were Commission members.

Issues readied for House of Delegates.(American Society of Radiologic Technologists)

The complete resolutions and bylaws are available at www.asrt.org >Governance >What's New.

The ASRT governance restructuring created a new look to the Commissions process this year. Rather than separate Commissions on Administration, Education and Professional Practice, there was just one group meeting in Albuquerque, N.M., on Feb. 23 to make its recommendations to the House of Delegates. It was led by Chairman Pam Tubbs, R.T.(R)(M), FASRT.

In all, 44 resolutions will come before the House. However, 23 of them involve only simple language changes to ASRT position statements. The editorial changes were made for conciseness and clarity. Five resolutions were deemed operational and were sent to the Board of Directors to discuss.

The Commissioners devoted much of their discussion to four resolutions that involved degree requirements.

Resolution 06-2.05, Revision of ASRT Position Statement "Level of Education for the Radiologic Science Profession," referred back to the Commission from last year's House, provoked discussion because it …