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ASRT is encouraging every Texas RT during April/May of 2010 to show America's patients that you CARE by supporting
the "Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence (CARE) in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy" bill. E-mail your
congressperson today to get your representatives to sign on as cosponsors of the CARE bill.
ASRT Position Statement: By ensuring a minimum level of
education, knowledge and skill for radiologic personnel, federal minimum standards will:
·
Ensure that quality information is presented for diagnosis and that quality
radiation therapy treatments are delivered, leading to accurate diagnosis, treatment and cure. Poor quality images can lead
to additional testing, delays in treatment and needless anxiety for the patient.
- Reduce health care costs by lowering
the number of radiologic examinations that must be repeated due to improper positioning or poor technique. Repeated
radiologic examinations cost the U.S. health care system millions of dollars annually in needless
medical bills.
- Improve the safety of radiologic
procedures. Administered properly, radiation is an invaluable tool in the diagnosis, treatment and management of disease.
But most radiologic procedures also carry a potential health risk, and radiation can be harmful if misadministered
ASRT Board Member from Texas To Testify in Congress
The House Energy and Commerce
Committee's Subcommittee on Health has invited the American Society of Radiologic Technologists to testify at a hearing to
examine the benefits and risks of medical radiation. ASRT Board of Directors member Sandra Hayden, B.S., R.T.(T), will represent
ASRT at the hearing and deliver a prepared statement.
The hearing was originally
scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 10, but has been postponed due to weather and travel delays in Washington, D.C. The ASRT will publish information about
the rescheduled hearing date as soon as it is available. The hearing will be streamed live online via the House Energy and
Commerce Committee Web site.
In her remarks, Ms. Hayden
will outline ASRT's recommendations for ensuring the accuracy, quality and safety of medical radiation procedures. The ASRT
statement will emphasize that medical radiation is safe when properly used by competent, qualified individuals. The ASRT also
will make two recommendations to reduce the risk of radiation errors:
- Establish consistent, mandatory
methods of reporting and investigating medical radiation errors. The ASRT recommends mandatory reporting of errors and development
of a consistent system of data collection and tracking.
- Establish national educational and
certification standards for personnel who perform medical imaging and who plan and deliver radiation therapy. Ms. Hayden will
call on Congress to pass the Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy bill to establish these standards. The CARE bill was introduced in the House of Representatives in September 2009 by Rep. John
Barrow, D-Ga. The bill would require personnel to complete entry-level education, pass a national certification exam, and
maintain competency through continuing education.
The hearing, titled "Medical
Radiation: An Overview of the Issues," was called in response to recent news articles about radiation overdoses, particularly
a series of New York Times
articles about errors during radiation therapy treatments. On Jan. 31, the Times
printed a letter from ASRT President Diane Mayo, R.T.(R), in response to the series.
Representatives from other
health care associations and medical equipment manufacturers also have been invited to testify at the hearing.
"We are pleased that ASRT
has been invited to contribute to this important dialogue on the quality and safety of medical procedures that use radiation,
including radiation therapy," said ASRT Chief Executive Officer Sal Martino, Ed.D., R.T.(R), FASRT, CAE. "Our remarks will
emphasize our members' commitment to radiation protection, radiation safety and patient care."
The ASRT represents more
than 134,000 radiologic technologists. Ms. Hayden is vice speaker of the ASRT House of Delegates and administrative director
of radiation therapy services at the University of Texas
MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
RT in DC:
2010 R.T. in D.C. will be held March 7-9 at The Dupont
Hotel in Washington, D.C. - it is the advocacy event for radiologic technologists! You can download the
brochure and registration from the ASRT Website.
Former TSRT Board
Member and Current ASRT Board of Directors Member, Sandra Hayden of Pearland, will be in attendence. Please continue
to contact your congressmen and senators about the CARE Bill.
CARE Bill:
The Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence (CARE)
in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Charles Gonzalez
[D-TX-20]. The bill is H.R. 3652.
TSRT has been working with ASRT to rally up support. There are currently 19
cosponsors in the House. We need Texas technologists to be “pleasant pest” and continue to call their US Representatives for
more co-sponsorship.
RA Bill:
Texas Senate Bill 821, modification to the current MRT bill to establish licensing for radiologist assistants (RAs)
in Texas, was sponsored by Shapiro and passed the Senate Floor. Chuck Hopson was
the sponsor in the House; however, the bill did not make it out of committee before the legislative session ended. TSRT remains in communication with TRS (Texas Radiologic Society) on how to pursue the bill for next TSRT
legislative session.
Coalition for Ethical Imaging, CEI:
This legislative
effort mandates the registration of diagnostic imaging equipment and the accreditation of diagnostic imaging facilities. They
also include a directive for a study by the Texas Department of State Health Services that would help determined the extent
to which physician ownership of advanced diagnostic equipment influences the decision to prescribe expensive tests.
TSRT continues to support these efforts helping with research, monitoring, and information about the effort.
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