networking too A monthlyl AdministratorsAmerican Link ... · having my job description and that of my assi-s tant director changed to include “CRA pr- e ferred”." AHRA is extremely

The long-awaited results are in and AHRA ispleased to annouce that over 200 radiolo-gy administrators passed the inaugural

Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA) exami-nation and became Certified RadiologyAdministrators (CRA’s).

Of the 236 radiology administrators who took theinaugural CRA examination, 86.44% received apassing score and are now Certified RadiologyAdministrators. They can be recognized by thecredential, CRA, after their names. The firstexamination was administered on July27, 2002, the day before the start of the30th AHRA Annual Meeting in NewOrleans. A complete listing of thosewho passed the examination is postedonline at http://www.ahraonline.org.

The CRA is the industry's first certificationprogram for radiology administrators andis administered by the RadiologyAdministration Certification Commission ofthe AHRA. The CRA program is designed toelevate professional standards, enhance individ-ual performance and recognize administratorswho demonstrate knowledge essential to thepractice of radiology management. The programis funded by a five-year grant from EastmanKodak Company, Health Imaging Division.

To sit for the examination, candidates arerequired to meet experience, education, andother credential requirements. AHRA's web site(http://www.ahraonline.org) contains a descrip-tion of the eligibility requirements. The test con-sisted of 185 questions. Approximately 30 per-cent of the questions were based on knowledge,40 percent tested application skills (problemsolving) and 30 percent involved analysis. Thetest questions focused on five domains: humanresource management, asset resource manage-ment, fiscal management, operations manage-ment, and communications and informationmanagement.

“I took the exam to set an example for my staffand peers, as well as challenge myself. We con-stantly need to challenge ourselves and lead byexample. I can't very well request my staff inareas such as CT and MRI get advanced reg-istries in their specialized modality if I do not dothe same when there is an opportunity to do so,"said Lin Polen, M.S., R.T.(R), CRA, Administrat-ive Director of Radiology, Centre CommunityHospital in State College, PA.

AHRA is currently developing testdates and locations for CRA examina-tions in 2003 and will release thatinformation as soon as it becomesavailable.

The idea to create a certificationprogram was born from a marketresearch survey conducted byAHRA. An overwhelming majorityof radiology administrators report-

ed that a certification program wouldsupport and advance their professional roles

“It is an odd experience to take a test for a bodyof knowledge one has accumulated over thecourse of several years, and pleasantly validat-ing to pass it and have a piece of paper that saysyou know what you are doing. I encourage mycolleagues to take the exam and set the examplewe are asking of our technologists; that is, weare asking them to step up and get advancedcertifications. As leaders, we need to show themwe are willing to earn and study for our creden-tial,” said Robbie Edge, CRA, FAHRA, Director ofImaging Services, Doctor’s Medical Center inModesto, CA. “I have also been successful athaving my job description and that of my assis-tant director changed to include “CRA pre-ferred”."

AHRA is extremely grateful to Kodak, who com-mitted $1 million over five years to fund thisexciting new opportunity. n

LinkOctober 2002Vol. 21 No. 10

ahraA monthly

networking tooland information

source formembers of the

AmericanHealthcare Radiology

Administrators

I N S I D E

2President’sMessages

3Partners InLearningExperience

5StaffingShortage

6This OldHospital

7On Line ARRTRenewals

8-9CRA Update

10The Good OleDays

10-16Classified /Open Positions

Inaugural CRAInaugural CRA Results are ReleasedResults are Released

2

Sharing a Common Problem• • PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

As a group,we are fac-ing a com-

mon problem - theN a t i o n a lT e c h n o l o g i s tShortage. It isaffecting our hospi-tals, our imagingcenters, and ourstand-alone clinics.The problem is nota new one, andthere are a numberof different solu-tions that we haveattempted; yet the

problem still exists.

In addition to the staffing shortage,we face the dilemma of how to keepour exam rooms staffed while con-trolling our costs. We are all awarethat technologist's salaries areincreasing as the marketplaceresponds to the shortage. It's thatage old supply and demand problem.And we realize that we need to beable to pay the technologists to getthem in our facilities. Yet, as admin-istrators, we must continually controlour costs.

Is there an easy solution to thisstaffing shortage? As a Board, wehave continued to look at this issueand provide tools and informationthat we can share with our membersto help with the shortage. We are notmaking promises that we can solvethe problem; rather we are looking atways to help. The Board of Directorshas allocated resources to twogroups of people to focus on theshortage - one group is looking at ashort-term strategy and one lookingat long-term strategy.

Coming up with short-term strategyis difficult and individualized, basedon the creativity and resources of agiven facility. That is where network-ing is so valuable. The technologistshortage did not happen overnightand we cannot find a solution to theglobal shortage overnight. RobbieEdge is leading one of the groups,addressing short-term strategy. Shehas an article on page 5 of this issueof Link. Her article highlights some ofthe work the task force has done andits plans moving forward.

Penny Olivi has accepted the task ofleading the long-term strategy. Todate, it has completed a summarydocument identifying strategies thatare actually being utilized as well aspotential strategies. We are current-ly working on an article for RadiologyManagement that will highlight thisinformation.

The long-term task force is looking atthe issue from a strategic planningpoint of view. It first defined what wealready know. This includes recogni-tion that this issue is the number oneheadache our membership deals isexperiencing and the fact that alliedhealth professions are also experi-encing shortages.

Relevant evolving dynamics such as· previous shortage cycles have run

in 4-7 year cycles· fewer people are entering training

programs · the rise of "travelers" is a phenome

non the likes of which we have never experienced

were also identified as importantvariables.

AHRA's strategic position and inter-nal capacity to address this issuewas examined. The task force recog-nized that the resources are finite forthe AHRA and that AHRA is in a posi-tion to develop tools for our member-ship to address this issue.

The final step of our process is tolook at the ethical implications rele-vant to the AHRA and some of theways it may help with the shortage.We know from our recent survey ofour members that taking an activerole in lobbying is not a priority forthe association.

The long-term task force, through thestrategic planning process, madeand prioritized five recommenda-tions. Within each of these five rec-ommendations, a number of sug-gested action items were identified.

The five recommendations are:1. Raise awareness of our profession. 2. Partner with the JRC to provide

quality education in a way that includes non-traditional students.

3. Recruit students from different places

4. Create a quality monitor useful tothe majority of Radiology leaders to begin to systematically document the shortage.

5. Support limited licensure and or create a defined position of "staff extender" for radiologic technology.

AHRA is committed to working on theissue of the staffing shortage and wewill be providing more informationthroughout the year as we continuewith our research and solutions gen-eration. It promises to be an activeyear for the AHRA Board as weexamine the issues facing our indus-try and the organization.

The commitment from members ofour organization in unmatched.Working together, I know we will beable to share our knowledge andoffer solutions to each other.Members are vital not only to theorganization as a group, but to eachother as well. I want to thank WandaCasady who over the years has been

a friend and professionalcontact. It was withWanda's help I was ableto take the last few stepsin completing my require-ments for Fellow status inthe AHRA. Thank You,

Wanda, for helping me achieve thishonored recognition. I challengeother Fellows of the AHRA -- pleaselook around within our membershipfor those members we know havebeen active and most likely qualify orare close, make a contact with themand sponsor them to completion. Weall need a nudge from time to time.

In closing I'd like to congratulate allthe new Certified RadiologyAdministrators (CRA's). Yes, it is offi-cial, the results are in and our newCRA's should be very proud of theiraccomplishment. I also want to rec-ognize those of you who took theexam but were not successful in yourfirst attempt. I know you share the"vision" of the AHRA and the impor-tance of this certification. Best ofluck next time, I know you'll succeed.

Mark Viau, CRA,FAHRAExecutive Dir, Imaging& Cardiology ServicesBoca RatonCommunity Hospital800 Meadows RoadBoca Raton, FL 33486ph: (561) 955-4167fax: (561) [email protected]

3

Partners in Learning - A Unique and Valuable Opportunity

After speaking on 'CustomerService in Healthcare' on thelast day of the AHRA Annual

Meeting in New Orleans, I headedeast and south to visit what Iexpected to be a small communityhospital called Boca RatonCommunity Hospital. I was one ofmany AHRA members who weregenerously selected to participate inthe Partners in Learning program bythe AHRA Education Foundation.Partners in Learning is sponsoredby Amersham Health, which makesthis educational opportunity possi-ble. When I picked this communityhospital, I was surprised to learnthat the Radiology Director at thiscommunity hospital was the next(now) President of the AHRA, MarkViau. I soon discovered that BocaRaton Community Hospital was notan ordinary community hospital andMark was obviously not an ordinaryRadiology Director.

One of my goals was to visit a radi-ology department that had a PETscanner. To my surprise, I learnedthat Boca Raton CommunityHospital already had a PET scannerfor more than two years. I wastreated by Mark in a most cordial,professional, and thorough mannerand was also permitted hands-onaccess to whatever aspect of PETscanning I wanted. Mark also intro-duced me to Ken McIntyre, an expe-rienced PET Technologist, who wasorganized, thorough and fun to workwith. Together we worked to com-plete a day's worth of patients andmy expectations of learning aboutthis modality were far exceeded. Icould not imagine where else I couldhave received such a specific edu-cational experience.

I was also given a thorough tour ofMark's very large and active full-

service Breast Center. NicoleCoates, Interim Supervisor for theCenter, explained that three femaleradiologists and a team of other pro-fessionals staff the Center and makeit the success that it is. I was intro-duced to ICAD, a technology withwhich I was unfamiliar. Since theBreast Center is a truly full-servicefacility, I was shown not only stereo-tactic biopsies, but also ultrasound-guided biopsies, and had the latestthoughts of the benefits of eachexplained to me. This center wasclearly dedicated to its patients andmission.

Mark then had me visit his largemulti-modality Nuclear MedicineDepartment. Having been a nuclearmedicine technologist, I was fasci-nated to see what was incorporatedinto this department. The depart-ment has seven cameras,with an additional two cam-eras in an outpatient buildingon a different part of thecampus. Doing a large car-diac nuclear volume may notbe unusual these days in ahospital, but doing echoesand halter monitoring is cer-tainly unusual. I had theopportunity to hear JenniferRosser, the CardiologyServices Manager(Cardiology also reports toMark), explain to her staffthat halters will now be partof this department for theconvenience of the patient.The staff seemed to buy inand there was more coopera-tion than dissention. Thiswas a good example of thetype of management plan-ning and implementation thatare typical of RadiologyDirectors today.

During my time atBoca RatonC o m m u n i t yHospital, I learnedabout the latestPET technology, ac o n t e m p o r a r yservice called TheBreast Center,and an integratedNuclear Medicine/ C a r d i o l o g ydepartment. Finally, I was wel-comed by a competent, friendlyRadiology Director (and AHRAPresident) who had multi-depart-ment responsibilities. All of this wasprovided by the AHRA EducationFoundation through the support ofAmersham Health. I encourageeveryone to apply and I thank thosewho have made this unique educa-tional opportunity possible. n

By Tom Saladino

• • AHRA PROGRAM UPDATE

Midwestern StateUniversity Ad

Thomas Saladino, CRAConsultant

Fort Kent CommunityHigh SchoolPO Box 243

Ft. Kent Mills, ME 04744Phone: 207/[email protected]

4

LinkahraKaren GuyEditor

Steve Clevenger, Robbie Edge, Jerry Reid, Joan Patropoulous,Thomas Saldino, Mark ViauContributing Writers

AHRA Link is published monthly by the American Healthcare Radiology Administrators.

CalendarConferences & Meetings

ahra Audioconferences

Mark ViauPresident (561) [email protected]

Michael J. AlbertinaPresident - Elect(314) [email protected]

Sheila M. SferrellaPast - President(610) [email protected]

Mel AllenFinance Director(913) [email protected]

Robbie EdgeEducation Director(209) [email protected]

Edward Asante(212) [email protected]

Stephen Clevenger(404) [email protected]

Ken Fazzino(727) [email protected]

Jay Mazurowski(630) [email protected]

Lynn McVey(973) [email protected]

Penny Olivi(410) [email protected]

Jeff Palmucci(330) [email protected]

Bernie Rubenzer(414) [email protected]

Jeffrey Schaefer(520) [email protected]

Barbara Spencer(614) [email protected]

AHRA Board of Directors

Contributions and comments are welcome. Send address changes and all correspondence to AHRA Link, 490-B Boston Post Road, Suite 101, Sudbury,MA 01776 or e-mail [email protected]. Reach us by phone 800/334-2472 or 978/443-7591; fax 978/443-8046. Visit us on the Web: www.ahraonline.org.© 2002 by AHRA. May not be reproduced in part or whole without written consent from AHRA.

Conferences

Printed on recycled paper.

2003 Annual Meeting31st Annual Meeting & Exposition

August 10-14, 2003Anaheim Convention CenterAnaheim, California

To register for any AHRA conferences, go towww.ahraonline.org or call (800) 334-2472 or (978) 443-7591.

For other information on conferencedetails, call (301) 984-9450 or toll free (877) 984-6338.

Registration, Exhibits & Speakers : Jennifer Leo x12Conference Logistics Linda Hachero x13

Fusion Imaging: Greater Thanthe Sum of its Parts?featuring Dr. Carolyn Meltzer,University of PittsburghThursday, November 07, 20021:00 - 2:30pm EST

JCAHO Update for 2003featuring Judith AtkinsWednesday, December 11, 20021:00 - 2:30pm (EST)

Automated Medical Codingfeaturing Tim MinnichJanuary 23, 20031:00 - 2:30pm (EST)

Coding and HOPPS Rates for 2003February 6, 20031:00 - 2:30pm (EST)

Performing Employee EvaluationsFebruary 20, 20031:00 - 2:30pm (EST)

Real Life PACS Implementation: Stories andStrategiesMarch 20, 20031:00 - 2:30pm (EST)

What’s the Next Career Step? ExplainingYour Role and Preparing Yourself forAdditional Management ResponsibilitiesApril 17, 20031:00 - 2:30pm (EST)

After the results had been tabulated from

AHRA’s Annual Meeting ‘02 in New Orleans,

Congratulations go out to Diagnostic Imaging

winner of both the Best Booth and theBest Teaser contests.

At the November 2001 boardmeeting, I was asked toreport on the findings of a lit-

erature review, interviews with formermembers of the Summit onManpower, and interviews with edu-cators as to the variables that areinfluencing the staffing shortage wewere experiencing (and still are expe-riencing).

We reviewed statistics from JRCERTas to numbers of enrolled studentsand numbers of schools. In aggre-gate, the schools are running at 50%to 60% occupancy, with someschools reporting waiting lists forstudents and others reporting notenough qualified applicants to filltheir vacant seats. There was noregion of the United States or theworld that was not (and is not cur-rently) feeling the crunch of an aver-age 18% shortage, 16% in urbanareas and 21% in rural areas, trans-lating to about 31,000 jobs opennationwide.

In 2000, 400 people took the ARRT,with an increase for 2002, for the firsttime in several years. Employersreported using similar tools as wereused during the last shortage includ-ing sign-on and retention bonuses,tuition reimbursement, referralbonuses, scholarships for studentsand increasing salaries. The slowing

economy helps both health care andeducation careers since both areseen as "safe"; however Gen X is onehalf the size as the Baby BoomerGeneration, so for the next 20 years,there will be fewer people to take theplaces of those retiring from all fields.Employers are looking at things like4-day workweeks that still considerthe employee full time, flexiblescheduling, and bonus pay for extrashifts as incentives to keep currentemployees.

As for me, our facility is doing a lot ofthings similar to others: we have hir-ing and retention bonuses; we hirestudents in the last six months oftheir training to fill open positions assort of a glorified orderly so they getall the hospital orientation done. OurHR department and administrativeteam are very proactive in being sureour salaries and benefits are compet-itive. We live in a rural area of CentralCalifornia, so we have to be creativein enticing people to come here.Asking people if they want to live in“America's Fruit & Nut Basket” isn'tsuch good marketing, but lettingpeople know they can find peacefulliving, proximity to mountains andlakes, a train ride away from SanFrancisco, the freshest producearound, affordable housing (which isnot so easy to find in California) anda vibrant downtown with great

restaurants helps.We do what Ilearned in someHR classes I'vetaken: find thebest person - jobmatch and theystay, provided thejob continues tomatch the chang-ing person. Ibelieve if we asimaging leadersdo our part toknow our staff,know what they need, and work toget it, we will retain them.

The AHRA Board will continue tofocus on staffing, as it is reported tobe the number one headache by ourmembers and non-members. JeffPalmucci published articles, one inRadiology Management and one inImaging Economics, to share what heis doing. While Jeff's solution will notwork for me in California, it certainlydid give me an idea to see how wecan best cooperate with the RadTech program at Merced College.AHRA is all about networking andcommunity. No one person, no oneboard and no one organization has"the" answer to this crisis. AHRA isdoing its part to share and collabo-rate in finding a long-term solution tothe staffing crisis. n

5• • AHRA NEWS

Staffing Shortage: Research and Short Term SolutionsBy Robbie Edge, CRA, FAHRA

Roberta Edge, CRA,FAHRA

Dir. of Imaging ServicesDoctor's Medical Ctr.

1441 Florida AveModesto, CA 95352

ph: (209) 576-3645fax: (209) 576-3644

[email protected]

Editorial Review Board Welcomes New MembersAfter receiving an overwhelmingresponse to our request for newEditorial Review Board (ERB) mem-bers for AHRA’s journal, RadiologyMangement, we are pleased toannounce the four new members ofthe Editorial Review Board. ERBmembers serve a two-year term,with the option of serving an addi-tional two-year term.

They are:

Vickie Bedel, FAHRAElectronic Clinical Information

Project ManagerRadiologix, Inc., Dallas, TX

Kim MetcalfDirector of Imaging Services

St Marys' Regional Medical Ctr.Lewiston, ME

Karen KrivakDirector - Radiology

Pulaski Memorial Hospital,Winamac, IN

Stephen Seabrook, CRAVice President

Southern NH Radiology P.C.Bedford, NH

• • AHRA NEWS

If you have an article idea for submission, please contact Karen Guy at the AHRA to pass your idea along to the editors.

6

Alot has hap-pened sincethe last sub-

mission for ThisOld Hospital. Weare now in the newbuilding. I havelots to tell youabout the pre-moveand then the go-live. Now where doI start? My last arti-cle ended while Iwas investigating adifferent method ofbringing the staffup to speed on

Environment of Care issues otherthan using my time, which workedout to be about an hour per session.What I came up with was aPowerPoint presentation that cov-ered everything I needed to tell them.I constructed the presentation insuch a manner that all the staff need-ed to do was to go to any PC in thedepartment and click on the icon.The program would start and auto-matically change slides until it wasfinished. There was also a smallquestionnaire for the staff to docu-ment their understanding of thematerial. In retrospect, this wasprobably one of my best ideas for themove. I used this same method laterto orient staff to the department gen-eral issues. What made this ideaespecially good was that I could lateremail the PowerPoint presentation tothe supervisors to catch anybodythat was missed. I always knew thatthe same material was going to becovered.

Other orientations were needed aswell. The hospital had their own ori-entation class and tour. Every hospi-tal employee was required to attend.The class took about an hour andwas very informative. The self-guid-ed tour took at least two hours. I didit in an hour and forty-five minutesand was almost running through thenew building. When an employeewas ready for the tour, they wouldcheck out a CD player and a floorplan of the hospital. It was very hightech and I think it went pretty well. Atleast I didn't get lost; well, actually Idid get lost once. Hmmm I'm a guythough, and we are allowed! Ok, thehospital had the class and the tour.

The department had the Environmentof Care orientation and then a gener-al orientation. The department gen-eral orientation was just that -- it dis-cussed services that were changingone way or another, it got rid ofrumors about loss of positions,reviewed the general layout of thedepartment, and also included a briefdiscussion about ordering food fromoutside sources. Each section alsohad their own orientation, which wasvery specific to their operations andlayout. The section supervisor com-pleted the section specific orienta-tion. If your counting, that's a total offive orientations and we haven't evengot to PACs or the new equipmentyet!

As a reminder to you, we were com-ing up with Fuji CR, GE DR andSiemens PACs. We received severalpieces of Ultrasound equipmentbefore go-live and were lucky thattraining was behind us. The mam-mography section had alreadyreceived one of two digital GE 2000Dunits, so that was behind us as well.CT was well acquainted with theLightspeed so the additional unitwould be no problem for them. Thediagnostic section took the brunt ofintensive instruction prior to go-liveon equipment that they couldn't useuntil day one. MRI and the Angiosections were receiving new equip-ment and unfortunately the equip-ment would not be ready for in-serv-ices prior to our go-live. This was anarea of concern for us, especially forthe MRI section. As we workedthrough this issue, we were able toget the magnet up two weeks prior togo-live. GE was great helping us withthe training. The specialized serviceslike US, CT, and MRI had manyopportunities to travel to GE's train-ing facility for off-site training. PACstraining consisted of about an hourfor department supervisors and man-agers. Radiologists had manyopportunities for training. They hadalready begun using a workstation toreview CT and MRI images prior togo-live. Referring MDs received briefinstruction via town hall meetings orone on one as opportunities arose. Ikept track of all of this with a spread-sheet that listed all of the employees.The sheet also listed all orientationsand training opportunities. I kept

track of who needed what. (Those ofyou that know me, know that Ienjoyed this part.) It was useful toprod the supervisors along and tokeep my director apprised of wherewe were in the process. I will keep itaround for JCAHO, as you neverknow what they may ask.

The big day for the managers and theother admin staff finally arrived. Wewere moving to the admin area priorto the department's actual move. Itwas an exciting time for us. We hadour desks unloaded and boxed up.PCs, printers, telephones were alldisconnected and labeled with thenew room and its' owner. This part ofthe project was actually pretty easy.We all had new desks and chairs.Our boxes were delivered and thesetup began. The admin staff was alittle apprehensive, I think, at thispoint as we began finding out thatnone (or very few) of the data jacksand voice lines were active. We hadrequested them to be so. It turnedout that my office was one of the fewwhere both were live. Blood pres-sure increased a little at this point.Luckily, I had a wireless phone thatwe could all use. There was no turn-ing back now. We were committed!

The department's big day was alsocoming. Unfortunately I was going tomiss the big move. It was going tohit while I was in New Orleans at theAHRA Annual Meeting. Since I wason the Annual Meeting Design Teamand I was also just recently elected tothe Board of Directors for the AHRA,it was important that I attend themeeting. My director and I had dis-cussed the possibility of this happen-ing and he had told me that he feltcomfortable with me going to NewOrleans. (Thanks Dale, I hope youdidn't regret that decision.) Well, Ihad several pages while I was at themeeting and I burned up the fiberbetween New Orleans and Atlantawith emails, but the departmentmade the move! See my next sub-mission for the rest of the story!

If you would like more information onthis project or Emory Healthcare,please visit our website atwww.emoryhealthcare.org. n

This Old Hospital ... Sixth in a Series By Steve Clevenger

Stephen ClevengerRadiology ManagerCrawford Long Hospital550 Peachtree St. NEAtlanta, GA 30308ph: (404) 686-8985fax: (404) [email protected]

7

It’s not unusual for ARRT toreceive calls from R.T.swho need to get their new

credentials in a hurry duringtheir birth month. Either theJCAHO is coming, or theirmanager is checking for cur-rent credentials, or they wait-ed until late in their birthmonthand are nervous about nothaving their new card whenthe old one expires at the endof the month. Although itwon't provide credentials ondemand, ARRT is introducingan on-line renewals option viathe Internet in 2003 which isexpected to shorten turn-around time somewhat. Whilethere will be some time sav-ings, online renewal is mainlyseen as an added conven-ience for R.T.s.

Although the technical capa-bility to perform on-line trans-actions such as renewals hasbeen available for severalyears, ARRT waited to intro-duce e-renewals until itseemed likely to be used by asizeable percentage of R.T.s.Individuals generally havebecome increasing comfort-able with paying for servicesand merchandise via theInternet. The data collectedon the ARRT renewal formsindicates that 70% of R.T.sroutinely access the Internet.Some of those sessionsundoubtedly include onlinefinancial transactions.

The initial phase of this projectwill allow almost everyone torenew on-line. Some of theexceptions will be R.T.s on CEprobation, those under ethicssanction, or individualsrequesting a name change.Also, it will not be possible forthose who have let their regis-tration lapse to reinstateonline at this time. ARRT willbe investigating the possibilityof including these exceptionsand other electronic transac-

tions after the on-line renewalprocess is perfected.

The introduction of an onlineoption does not spell thedemise of the paper applica-tion for renewal of registration.Renewal applications will stillbe mailed according to thecurrent schedule (i.e., the mid-dle of the month prior to thebirth month). Access to theonline renewal will be avail-able the first of the monthprior to the R.T.'s birth monthso those renewing via theInternet will be able to get ajump on the process. Thosewho renew on-line beforeARRT extracts records to printthe paper renewals won'treceive the application bymail.

Access to the online renewalwill be available via the ARRTwebsite at http://www.arrt.org.After selecting the "MyInformation" button to log onto the secure server, a screenwill request identifying infor-mation (ARRT ID number,social security number andbirthdate). The systemaccesses the appropriateARRT file, verifies the identify-ing information and checksthat it is within the allowablewindow for online renewal.The allowable window is thefirst day of the month prior tothe R.T.'s birth month throughthe last day of the birth month.

The online form will be similarto the paper renewal applica-tion except that the sectionsare spread across separatescreens. The questions will bethe same as on the paperrenewal application, only theformat differs.

On-line renewal will requirepayment by credit card.Initially, two types of creditcards will be accepted, Visaand MasterCard. Upon enter-

ing identifying information andthe credit card information,the system connects to thebank issuing the credit card tocheck for payment authoriza-tion. Once authorization isreceived, a message appearsindicating that the paymenttransaction has been complet-ed and that the renewal wassubmitted for ARRT process-ing. If bank authorization isnot received, the online ses-sion is terminated with a mes-sage indicating the renewalmust be submitted by mail.

The system will be availablealmost 24 hours a day, sevendays a week. There will be aperiod of about 2 hours eachweek during which transac-tions will not be accepted toallow system maintenance.The time will likely beThursday evenings from 8:15P.M. - 10:15 P.M. central time.

On-line applications must besuccessfully submitted by11:59 P.M. central time on thelast day of the R.T.'s birthmonth. Leaving the submis-sion until the last minute cre-ates potential problems likethe credit card paymentauthorization being denied orthe Internet Service Provider,at either end, being down. Nodeadline extensions will bemade for such technical prob-lems. Even with onlinerenewals, it will be the R.T.'sresponsibility to meet thedeadline.

Although the online renewalsystem should decrease turn-around time somewhat, it isstill important for the R.T.s inyour department to start theprocess early to assure thatcurrent credentials are avail-able in a timely manner. n

On-Line RenewalsBy Jerry Reid

• • ARRT NEWS

Jerry ReidARRT

1255 Northland DriveMendota Heights, MN

55120-1139Phone: (651) 687-0048

Fax: (651) [email protected]

E R T I F I E D

A D I O L O G Y

D M I N I S T R A T O R

CCRRAA

ALABAMAJames Harold Brewer, CRA Danny L. Meadows, CRA Michelle Waldrop, CRA E. Suzanne Young, CRA

ARIZONAKathryn A. Altergott, CRA Wanda M. Casady, CRA,

FAHRA Terry A. Dowd, CRA Peter M. Menor, CRA Martin Schotten, CRA Wiley E. Watterlond, CRA

ARKANSASRobert Altoff, CRA David R. Fox, CRA

CALIFORNIAJames Carter, CRA Margo L. Cusack, CRA Myles J. Doren, CRA Roberta M. Edge, CRA,

FAHRA E. James Grosskopf, CRA,

FAHRA Brenda S. Holden, CRA,

FAHRA Michael R. Hughes, CRA Donna Jennings, CRA Tan V. Knight, CRA Gregg R. Kurita, CRA Karen Lavine, CRA Nancy J. Lewis, CRA Debra A. Lopez, CRA Vincent F. McMillan, CRA Luke R. Ngo, CRA Alberto Pernudi, CRA Linda Williams-Klee

Reasoner, CRA Roland Rhynus, CRA, FAHRA Ernie R. Stewart, CRA Alicia Vasquez, CRA

COLORADOMichelle M. Wall, CRA

CONNECTICUTSteve Bencivengo, Jr., CRA Karen C. Blackburn, CRA Donna-Marie Blakely, CRA Michael E. Glennon, CRA Cheryl A. Granucci, CRA

Julius L. Kocsondy, CRA Shirley L. Pinette, CRA

DELAWARESandra Jo Moody, CRA,

FAHRA

FLORIDARon Barak, CRA Steven M. Currier, CRA Thomas M. Enlow, CRA Kenneth A. Fazzino, CRA Larry L. Johnson, CRA Margaret A. Kowski, CRA Robert H. Lee, CRA William E. Loeffler, CRA Osvaldo R. Perez, CRA Stephen G. Rogers, CRA Christy L. Simmers, CRA Rick E. Smith, CRA Mark A. Viau, CRA, FAHRA

GEORGIARussell L. Cain, CRA Debra H. Duke, CRA Della B. Johnson, CRA Richard Lewis, CRA Edward L. Morgan, CRA Geraldine F. Sharp, CRA Joseph R. Sprinkle, CRA Freda Stewart, CRA DiAnne D. Wallace, CRA,

FAHRA

ILLINOISLaura Gruber, CRA Janice Marie Nemri, CRA M. Duane Ronholm, CRA

INDIANARebecca S. Apodaca, CRA Shirley Blaney, CRA Kevin Hendrickson, CRA William R. Johnson, CRA

IOWACathy Gayle Beelman, CRA

KANSASMel L. Allen, CRA, FAHRA William J. Bunnell, CRA Lynn L. Graves, CRA

KENTUCKYDavid E. Berger, CRA Timothy P. Damron, CRA Margaret Myers, CRA Donna W. Ross, CRA Jim Wring, CRA

LOUISIANAJames Davidson, CRA Richie Dupre, CRA Terry L. Heffern, CRA Calvin Dale Vidrine, CRA

MAINEThomas Saladino, CRA

MARYLANDRao P. Gullapalli, CRA Grant McClure, CRA Angel Medina, CRA Jeffrey O'Neil, CRA

MICHIGANGary L. Duehring, PhD, CRA William R. Johnson, CRA Cheryl L. Martin, CRA

MINNESOTAJames A. Erickson, CRA Kathleen Inveen, CRA Patricia Sopsic, CRA

MISSISSIPPIDebra L. Clark, CRA A. Gordon Hollingsworth,

CRA Glen D. McCaffrey, CRA Kathy J. Sumrall, CRA Michael G. West, CRA,

FAHRA

MISSOURITom Brown, CRA Dennis Charles Enloe, CRA Gary Lee Headrick, CRA John Ising, CRA, FAHRA

NEBRASKAMichael E. Hopkins, CRA

NEVADAVicki L. Gooss, CRA Carla J. Hunter, CRA Woodie Ross, CRA

Jeri L. Strand, CRA Larry E. Weber, CRA

NEW HAMPSHIREMonte G. Clinton, CRA,

FAHRA Stephen C. Seabrook, CRA Robert E. White, CRA

NEW JERSEYJoseph Cuoco, CRA

NEW YORKGene H. Bernieri, CRA Richard Brooks, CRA Rosemary Lippincott, CRA Enrico M. Perez, CRA Bruce E. Peters, CRA Richard L. Powers, CRA Joseph V. Pulizzi, CRA Linda J. Puchalski, CRA Cecil Stapleton, CRA

NORTH CAROLINARaymond H. Clark, CRA Robert D. Diaz, CRA Elaine E. Murtha-Lucas, CRA Deborah A. Raper, CRA David Sack, CRA, FAHRA

OHIOLynn M. Heimlich, CRA James D. Mace, CRA, FAHRA Luis O. Marquez, CRA Debbie Warman McCabe,

CRA Roberta J. Miller, CRA,

FAHRA Jeffrey A. Palmucci, CRA Larry L. Phillips, CRA Stephen L. Spearing, CRA

OKLAHOMAJake Brownlow, CRA Chris M. Hammes, CRA Philip S. Lance, CRA Keith Mateychick, CRA Rosa Lee Merz, CRA

OREGONLawrence E. Cox, CRA Susan Dorsey, CRA David R. Foster, CRA Susan Foster, CRA

Congratulations are extended to the inauguralclass of Certified Radiology Administrators (CRA).These individuals have demonstrated their expertisein five management areas: human resource manage-ment, asset resource management, fiscal manage-ment, operations management, and communicationand information management. The individuals belowreceived a passing score on the exam held on July27, 2002 and earned the CRA credential.

NEW CRA’s (continued)

OREGON (cont.) Mary T. Savage, CRA Stephen W. Self, CRA Penny Wilson, CRA

PENNSYLVANIARobert K. Brzuchalski, CRA Michael A. D'Olio, CRA Penny M. Olivi, CRA Linda M. Polen, CRA Thomas C. Schnars, CRA Sheila M. Sferrella, CRA,

FAHRA Beverly A. Stoudt, CRA

SOUTH CAROLINASusan Groff Thomas, CRA

SOUTH DAKOTADenise Snuttjer, CRA

TENNESSEEVanessa Bramble, CRA Stephen R. Gaines, CRA Jacquelene S. Gorman, CRA Winnie Grieshaber, CRA Patricia A. Hoffman, CRA Kenneth James, CRA L Kendall Manning, CRA Roger R. Rhodes, CRA, FAHRA Charles Stamper, CRA Gary Stefanko, CRA Lisa Treadwell, CRA

TEXASCarla J. Antley, CRA Linda J. Boatner, CRA David L. Brooks, CRA Michael B. Carran, CRA Gregory L. Cooper, CRA Luann J. Culbreth, CRA Linda S. Ebling, CRA Melchor Estrada, CRA Christine Gaines, CRA Bruce W. Hammond, CRA Randy J. Hill, CRA James F. Hitzman, Jr., CRA Milo Knight, CRA Tommye S. Lanham, CRA John A. Loveridge, CRA Sissy H. Pederson, CRA Raul N. Reyes, Jr., CRA Betty Eileen Stearman, CRA James W. Sutton, CRA, FAHRA Lorraine Webster, CRA Steve Yeldell, CRA

VERMONTLisa J. Mcauley, CRA

VIRGINIAMaureen Green, CRA Thomas J. Lane, CRA

Thomas A. Redman, CRA Robert Steven Richardson,

CRA Franklin R. Scherf, CRA Mary Jayne Stevens, CRA Gayle C. Thompson, CRA

WASHINGTONJohn L. Griffith, CRA Anita D. Richardson, CRA Mark A. Watts, CRA Mark N. Wilfong, CRA

WEST VIRGINIAKaren S. Beaver, CRA Sue Ellen DeVincent, CRA Peggy Pust, CRA

WISCONSINJeffrey A. Books, CRA

RadiologyAdministratorCertificationCommission FormedAHRA members approved the bylaw change at the2002 Annual Meeting which established theRadiology Administration CertificationCommission (RACC). The RACC has been estab-lished as a separate and autonomous functionalbody within the Association responsible for theexaminiation and certification of radiology admin-istrators.

• • AHRA NEWS

Monte Clinton, CRA, FAHRADirectorDartmouth-Hitchcock Medical CenterLebannon, NH1 Year Term

Roberta Miller, CRA, FAHRAAdministrative Dir., RadiologyThe Toledo HospitalToledo, OH1 Year Term

Elizabeth RoakesDir. of Diagnostic ImagingGeorgetown Memorial HospitalGeorgetown, SC2 Year Term

Larry Weber, CRABusiness ManagerTahoe Carson RadiologyCarson City, NV2 Year Term

Luann Culberth, CRADir. of Education & Research, Dept. ofRadiologyBaylor University Medical CenterDallas, TX3 Year Term

Tom Redman, CRADiagnostic Imaging Services ManagerMartha Jefferson HospitalCharlottesville, VA3 Year Term

The RACC will govern the Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA) program. Suchan entity provides for arms-length dealings between the certification program andassociation, which is the recognized standard for certification programs as estab-lished by the National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NACC).

The first six people of the seven member committee have been seated (see termsbelow). The seventh member will be a public member. AHRA solicited nomina-tions from its membership for the public member of its RACC. The initial publicmember on the RACC shall serve a term of two (2) years and any member of thepublic who has used radiology services in any practice setting shall be eligible forelection as a public Commissioner. No public Commissioner shall be a CertifedRadiology Administrator (CRA) or have any personal, professional or supervisoryrelationship with a CRA. We will report on the seventh member in a future issue ofLink.

One of the first decisions the committee made was to allow people who did notpass the inaugural CRA exam to have the opportunity to retake the examination,within one (1) year without having to pay the second application fee. This changeapplies only to the inaugural exam.

The Commission is:

9

10The Good Ole Days

As I walkaroundm y

d e p a r t m e n tand attend dif-ferent meet-ings, one ofthe topics Ialways hearfolks talk, andc o m p l a i n ,about is all thetraining, com-petencies anddocumenta-tion we need

to achieve today. Is it really nec-essary? Is it overkill? Will wepass JCAHO without it? When Istarted in X-ray we never had allthis paperwork. And yet, every-thing worked out OK, didn't it?

Back in the 'good old days', mytraining consisted of followingaround an experienced tech. Itwas the training philosophy atmy institution that if she didsomething, and I happened tosee it, I was trained.Unfortunately for me she waspretty high in the pecking orderand didn't get assigned to thingslike portables and OR.

A couple of days into my 'train-ing' I was told to go to the OR foran abdomen. They wanted oneshot before they closed. I said'OK' and then had to ask wherethe OR was.

Once in the OR, I had to findsomeone who could tell mewhere to change into greens,where the portable was kept andwhere the darkroom was. Ifound a nurse who finally got upto help. The look on her facetold me she wasn't happy. Shedidn't appear in the least sur-prised that I didn't know thisstuff, only disgruntled that shehad to be the one to get up andshow me. All the while I'm think-ing "they're waiting for me,they're waiting for me.”

I finally got it together and shotthe film. I went into the tiniestdarkroom I've ever seen andfound TANKS. No processor! Atleast I wouldn't have to worry

whether I guessed right on thetechnique. I could ''eyeball' itand stop developing when itlooked right.

I developed the film for a minuteand checked. I developedanother minute and checked.Again, and again, and an imagenever came up on the film. Ireturned to the OR suite with thisimage-less film. I'm surethere's no need to describe thesurgeon's reaction. I explainedto him that there had been noexposure and I would have totake it again. I returned to thedarkroom with my new film, fol-lowed the same procedure, and,unfortunately, got the same out-come. Now I was terrified to goback to the surgeon. I called thedepartment and told them whathad happened. They quicklysent a tech and another portablemachine. The tech made all theright excuses to the surgeon andshot the new film. He handed itto me to develop.

Again, I returned with a clearfilm, no image. I'm not permit-ted, in print, to repeat certainthings the surgeon said. To putit politely, there was a lot of ten-sion in that room. The other technervously checked the machineagain and reshot. This time hedeveloped it himself. He cameback with a perfect film and wegot out of there fast.

Could this have been my fault?Could the 'training program' beat fault? Would it have hap-pened if someone had eventhought to show me the OR? IfI'd been trained I'm pretty suresomeone would have mentionedwhere to change and where toequipment is kept. Anothergreat little tid-bit would havebeen to tell me the processingtanks were reversed.

Having just relived that day inSurgery, I think maybe there isno overkill in training. Maybe alot of things should be writtendown. But then again, maybemy early days here wouldn'thave been quite so exciting. n

By Joan Patropoulous

Joan PatropoulousRadiology SupervisorSan Francisco General Hospital1001 Potrero AveSan Francisco, CA 94110ph: (415) 206-5196fax: (415) [email protected]

UMASS ADMIN DIRAD

11

RSNAAD

12

Mercy Medical CtrAD

Director of RadiologyNorth Carolina

Our client, a 547-bed teaching hospital and referral cen-ter, seeks an experienced Director, Radiology to man-age a highly performing department of 130 FTE's. Thisgrowing department performs over 160,000 proceduresannually. The position reports directly to the ExecutiveDirector for the system and collaborates closely withthe Chair of Radiology. The Hospital is the flagshiphospital of a private, not-for-profit, four-hospital healthcare system. The System has more than 1,000 operat-ing beds and approximately 6,000 employees.Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in RadiologicalSciences required and a Master's degree is highlydesired. A minimum of five years of experience in man-aging and supervising a radiology department in a hos-pital or health system and/or a comparable medicalfacility is required. In addition, the ideal candidate willhave experience and familiarity with PACS.Competitive compensation, benefits and relocationpackage available.

Send Resumes and Referrals to:Sherry Vining, Tyler & Company375 Northridge Rd. Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30350-3299770-396-3939; Email: [email protected]

• • CLASSIFIED

POSITIONS OPEN

Covenant Ad

13• • CLASSIFIED

POSITIONS OPEN

PACS Administrator

Loyola University Health System, a nationally recog-nized health care facility located minutes west of down-town Chicago, is currently seeking a PACSAdministrator that will serve as a radiology-specific ITSenior Systems Analyst. This position reports to theAdministrative Director of Radiology/RadiationOncology.

Responsibilities include coordinating all technicalissues with IT division; participating in all PACS & imagemgmt. evaluations, daily operations and PACS systemmgmt. Previous PACS exp. required - G.E. PACS exp. aplus. ARRT Registered Radiologic Technologist and/orNuclear Medicine Technologist preferred.

We offer a competitive salary & benefits package,including tuition assistance at Loyola UniversityChicago. Please forward your resume to:

Loyola University Health SystemAttn: Y. Sykes, HR Manager2160 S. First Ave., Maywood, IL 60153Fax: 708-216-4918, E-mail: [email protected] Opportunity Employer/Educator

Medical Director (Radiology)Lawrenceville, New Jersey

Interlink Healthcare Communications, a full servicehealthcare advertising and medical education companywith major pharmaceutical clients, has an excitingopportunity for a Medical Director in our Lawrenceville,New Jersey location.

In this position you will contribute to the developmentand implementation of educational and promotional projects that support various pharmaceutical products.Activities include directing the medical content of projects, educating internal team on relevant medicalissues, reviewing data to assess most appropriate communication strategies, and maintaining interactionwith clinical opinion leaders and clients.

Qualified candidates need an advanced degree with radiology experience. Must possess the ability to critically analyze and interpret scientific/medical imagesand data and identify medical opportunities thatcontribute to strategic development. Outstanding verbal and written communication skills are necessary.

We provide a competitive salary and comprehensive benefit program including 401K. Interested candidatesshould submit resumes to [email protected] or fax them to (609) 406-9046.

Resumes can also be mailed to: Eileen Ziegler, Interlink Healthcare Communications,989 Lenox Drive, Suite 300, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648. Visit our website at www.interlinkhc.com -EOE.

UMASS PROJECT DIRAD

14• • CLASSIFIED

POSITIONS OPENDirector of RadiologyServicesCVPH Medical CenterPlattsburgh, New York

CVPH Medical Center (1,900 employees) seeks a Dir ofRadiology. 2001: over 120,000 imaging proc's - CT,MRI, Nuclear Med, Ultrasound, Diag. Radiography, free-standing mammography with CAD. 90 FTE's at multiplesites. Newly installed systems: Siemens RIS and PACS,CTs, MRI, ultrasound, and R2 CAD. A Fugi CR in Oct.

BS Degree & 5 years mg'ment experience required,Masters preferred. (Combination of formal educationand 10+ years experience also considered.)Registration in Rad Tech and/or specialty area pre-ferred. Strong record communication skills; patientbilling and coding; marketing; experience in hospitaland outpatient environments required.

Plattsburgh is right on Lake Champlain, on the edge ofthe Adirondack Mtns, 1 hour from Olympic-Lake Placidregion and Montreal, Quebec. CVPH: a wonderful com-bination of high technology and small town charm, easeof living and friendliness.

Zaidee Laughlin, Human Resources CVPH Medical Center75 Beekman Street, Plattsburgh, New York 12901Phone: 800-562-7301; Fax: 518-562-7302 E-mail: [email protected] EOE Visit our website at www.cvph.org

Program Director - School of Radiology

Essential Functions: Perform correctly the requiredradiographer role in the clinical areas. Plan Program,Implement program, Evaluate program outcomes,Apply mathematical principles, Proficient in the EnglishLanguage, Effective verbal communication, Write pro-fessional nomenclature, Read professional nomencla-ture.

Minimum qualifications: Official transcript document-ing baccalaureate degree or suitable education equiva-lent; Master's Degree preferred. Credentialed, in goodstanding, in radiograph by the American Registry ofRadiological Technologist or possess suitable equiva-lent qualifications. Shall demonstrate proficiency in,but not limited to, the areas of curriculum design, pro-gram administrative/evaluation, instruction, and coun-seling. A minimum of three consecutive years of full-time professional practice as a radiographer in the lastfive years. Document a minimum of two years experi-ence as an instructor in an accredited radiography pro-gram. Evidence of continuing professional developmentsince last graduation.

All interested parties should send their resume as anattachment in MS Word or Word Perfect format, viaInternet to [email protected]. If you are faxingyour resume please fax to: 501-202-1161. For furtherinformation please call Chuck Kelley -501-202-2804.

Administrator, Imaging ServicesAtlanta, Georgia

Tyler & Company has been retained by The EmoryClinic, Inc, a member of Emory Healthcare, to assist inthe search for an Administrator, Imaging Services tooversee the business and administrative affairs for thedivision of Radiology, including development and exe-cution of strategic goals and plans. The successfulcandidate will be an accomplished professional with aminimum of five years progressive leadership in imag-ing services administration. The successful candidatemust have strong record of partnering with physiciansand expertise with working in both a horizontally andvertically integrated, matrixed, complex and politicalorganization. A Bachelor's required, Master's highlypreferred.

Send Resumes and Referrals to:Sherry Vining, Tyler & Company375 Northridge Rd. Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30350-3299770-396-3939; Email: [email protected]

Director, RadiologyWashington, DC

As part of MedStar Health, the Washington HospitalCenter is the System's flagship hospital with 907-bedsand 5,600 employees. A tertiary, acute care teachingand research hospital, WHC is ranked as one of thenation's top 100 hospitals by HCIA. The Directorreports to the VP, Professional Services of WHC.He/she is responsible for planning, directing, managingand coordinating activities for all of Imaging Services.The selected candidate will collaborate with SeniorManagement and The Chair of Radiology Services toadvance the operation's strategic interest of WHC. Weare seeking a radiology executive who possesses atleast five-years of experience in imaging services man-agement in a 400+ bed facility or flagship hospital of asystem. The candidate will be financially astute andquality, data and standards driven. Bachelor's degreein Radiology Sciences required and a Master's degreeis favored.

Contact: Sherry Vining, Tyler & Company375 Northridge Rd. Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30350-3299770-396-3939; Email: [email protected]

15POSITIONS OPEN• • CLASSIFIED

Director of Diagnostic ImagingChicago / Holy CrossAD

490-B Boston Post RoadSuite 101Sudbury, MA 01776

Link

ahra490-B Boston Post RoadSuite 101Sudbury, MA 01776

PRESORTEDFIRST CLASS MAILU.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT #25WORCESTER, MA

ahra• • CLASSIFIED

POSITIONS OPENDirector of Radiology

WITT/KIEFFER, the nation's only executive search firmdedicated to health care and higher education, hasbeen retained by a well-known medical center in Austin,Texas to find a Director of Radiology. This is the 'num-ber-one' person in a radiology department with approx-imately 80 FTE's, who will report to the COO. This hos-pital is licensed for in excess of 400 beds and is affiliat-ed with a very high quality health system.

This hospital seeks an experienced and energeticleader for their radiology function. The ideal candidatewill have ARRT certification, leadership experience inan organization similar in size and complexity, andstrong physician relations skills. A bachelor's degree ispreferred. This candidate must be someone with solidexperience in all aspects of diagnostic imaging, with anemphasis on growing outpatient services and an entre-preneurial spirit.

If you are aware of qualified individuals who may havean interest in learning more about this opportunity, theymay contact me directly at 713/266.6779, fax a current resume to 713/266.8133, or [email protected]. All inquiries are confidential.

Director, Radiology Services

Excellent opportunity for Radiologic professional to bedirectly responsible for planning, developing, imple-menting and evaluating Radiology Programs.

Please submit your resume to: HR Dept., Attn: L. GroceUMDNJ, 30 Bergen Street, Newark, NJ 07107-3000.UMDNJ is an AA/EO Employer, M/F/D/V.

For more information visit, www.umdnj.edu/hrweb

Radiology Directors/Managers

Ready to choose whether or not you want to continueworking 55 hours a week/50 weeks a year? Attractiveinterim opportunities exist in many facilities nationwide!If you would accept a short-term assignment, sendresume, requirements, and the names, addresses, andphone numbers of four professional/managerial refer-ences to: the Nielsen Healthcare Group, Dept I, 8460Watson Rd, Suite 225, St. Louis, MO 63119 or fax to 314-984-0820 or e-mail [email protected]. No fees.