Editor's Note: This version is modified from the edition mailed to our membership because of
updated or duplicate information that may be found elsewhere on our web site.

Fall 1999
     

        The Wyoming Society of Radiologic Technologists held their Annual Conference September 16^th through the 19^th at the Hitching Post Inn in Cheyenne. A variety of speakers from across the country as well as local speakers spoke on a diverse array of topics concerning radiologic technology. Mr. Jack Barr from Colorado was the keynote speaker for this year’s conference and was joined by ASRT Speaker of the House Liana Watson and ARRT Trustee Ed Dice as this year’s honored guests. Also present was Danny Gonzales from New Mexico who also spoke.
        The WSRT was very pleased by those who helped sponsor the event, including Cheyenne Radiology Group, Linda Tangeman from Pampered Chef, Dr. Carol Fischer, Dr. John Winter, Dr. Jeff Carlton, Susan Jackson of Cook, Inc., Dr. John Viola, Casper Medical Imaging, Ashley Craver of Abbott Labs, Linda Gates of United Medical Center, Dave Mosby & Jim Larson of General Electric, Alan Ponrick from Diagnostic Medical Systems, Bill Taugner from Vital Imaging, and Vickie Schneider from Mosby Publishing. We also thank each of our local sponsors including the Hitching Post Inn for their hospitality. Thanks also to each of the companies who purchased a table at the convention.
        Other speakers for the convention included Tom Kirk, Lisa Fink, Denise Burke, Joann Davidson, Dr. Ann Reyes, Barb Ossias, Cathy Davila, Amy Broadie, Jeff Tammen, Marty Brammer, Dr. Carrie Thoms, Alan Heffron, Dr. Harlan Ribnik, Jeannne Neuman, Dr. Fred Barton, Sue Castaneda, Dr. Jim Hubbard, Dr. Geoff Smith, Tim Kirk, Rich Lutz, Dr. Sandra Guidry, Dani Nolder, Kristy Nystrom and Linda Holden.
        The WSRT installed its new officers and Board members for the coming year with Liana Watson from the ASRT performing the installation ceremony at the Annual banquet. Your new officers for the coming year are President - Lesli Troastle, President-Elect - Starla Mason, Vice President - Shelly Breazeale, Secretary - Gemini Janas, Treasurer - Cheri Hale and Past-President - Linda Holden. The new committee people are Annual Conference - Linda Holden, By-Laws - Mike Lewis, Continuing Education -Starla Mason, Cowboy Cathode - Mike Lewis, Credentials - Starla Mason, Education – Robin Hobbs, Finance - Cheri Hale, Legislative – TBA, Nominations - Shelly Breazeale, Public Relations – TBA, Ways & Means - Vera Trimble and Chloe Gilbert.
        Awards were also presented at the Annual Banquet. The winners of the student papers this year were Jennifer Levart in first place and the runner-ups were Lori Peach and Jennifer Praska. In the student bowl, the winning team was Team 4 which consisted of Angie Yeik, Jamie Rhodes, Sharon Young and Andrea Martolio. Each member received a $25 prize. WSRT education grants were awarded to Val Martinez and Zach Irvine and the Micky Patch Scholarship was awarded to Kristy Nystrom. Linda Holden, Starla Mason and Mike Lewis were each awarded the new Escobedo Award for Excellence for their service to the WSRT this past year. Congratulations to all of our winners this year!
        Next year’s conference will be at the Parkway Plaza in Casper from September 21^st through the 24^th.

        The WSRT has traditionally issued an award for outstanding service each year at the Annual Conference. Until this year, this award was called the Mallinckrodt Award, sponsored by the Mallinckrodt Corporation. Two years ago there were three people who were to receive the award, however Mallinckrodt had only sent us two and said to contact them if we needed more. After repeated phone calls and faxes, the third award never arrived and was therefore, never issued to the third winner. The WSRT Board has now decided to forego sponsorship of this award by Mallinckrodt and has created a new award.
        It’s our pleasure to announce that the new award is now called the Elizabeth Escobedo Award of Excellence. The current criteria for winning the award is the same as the previous award in that winners are nominated from the WSRT general membership and approved by the WSRT Board. The Board does not nominate the winners.
        The WSRT Board has decided to have an award made for Mike Lewis, who was the third winner of the Mallinckrodt who never received it two years ago. They will still call it the Mallinckrodt Award.
        ………..In late breaking news, Mallinckrodt has now contacted both Mike Lewis and Linda Holden and apologized for the oversight with Mike’s award. They promise that they will be sending the overdue award to Mike and they wish to continue sponsoring an award for the WSRT on an annual basis. The Board of Directors will have to decide how they wish to handle this in their next meeting.

Membership Information

       The membership files have been updated since the last Cowboy Cathode. If we have made an error we apologize and if you have or know of any problems or questions regarding memberships including address changes, please don’t hesitate to contact Mary Bond at execsecretary@wsrt.org .
        It’s important that we have a current listing of ALL of our members. I encourage you to pass your copy of the Cathode around to other techs in your departments that may not have received a copy so that we have a chance to correct any errors and also a chance to encourage prospective members to join. If you have paid your membership but have not received a card, if you need to pay and haven’t received notice, or if you can help us locate other members, please write to or call Mary ASAP!

        Many of you will remember the WSRT Professional Status Survey that was sent out earlier this year. The results are in and we’d like to start addressing some issues that were brought out as a result of the survey. At this point in time, because of space considerations I will not be publishing the statistical information in this issue of the Cathode. In further issues, perhaps we can publish the entire survey in whole, or divide it into subsections for your convenience. At this point, let’s start with some concerns that were brought out. I will attempt to answer a few of them as being a past-president of the Board of Directors and I will seek the opinions of the current Board when I can. In further issues, I will encourage the current Board of Directors to also look at the questions and comments and then address them.
        “Continuing education is a waste of time, if you learn your job, you grow” In today’s world, medicine, especially in the imaging specialties, continues to become more complex than ever. It’s not enough anymore to know simply how to run the machines that we use from day to day, but we must become an integral part of the healthcare team as a whole for any given patient. To be able to do so requires constant and ongoing education with documentation of that education. Many agencies policing the healthcare industry require proof of at least a minimal standard of care with many expecting much more than a minimal level. In short, being a professional requires a level of certifiable, documented continuing education. You owe it to your patients.
        “People do not learn anything by going to the same seminars year after year just to get CEU’s” Unfortunately, I think that you’re are at least partially correct. However, I hope that this year’s conference was an example of what we hope to accomplish in the years to come. Sponsoring a conference is very difficult, to say the least, and in a rural community such as Wyoming recruiting new speakers can be quite difficult. On the other hand, we are lucky to have local individuals that are willing to help us year after year with speaking. The WSRT Board has now formed the first official ongoing conference committee. The members of this committee, unlike those prior to this one, will serve for several years so that we can hopefully obtain some continuity in conference organization for the future. The idea is then to rotate the members off the committee slowly and separately as to allow the continuity to continue well into the future. Hopefully, because we will be using experienced people, the conferences will become much more enticing for you to come to.
        “The WSRT needs to show good usage of the fees that we pay….. Videotape conferences for those folks in remote areas.” “What does the WSRT do with our dues money?” The budget for the WSRT is available to you as members at your request. Additionally, the budget is mailed out each year and is discussed at the WSRT Annual Business Meeting held during the Annual Conference. Quite honestly, the largest expense of the WSRT is to send our representatives to the ASRT House of Delegates each year. This can be quite expensive but is quite necessary for you to have representation at the national level. Another large expense is the Cowboy Cathode. Steps have been taken to reduce costs while trying to improve the quality of the publication for you. As editor, I am examining alternatives to reducing costs further. Other expenses include the Internet web site, which the amount is quite small ($30/month), paying our executive secretary and expenses for mailings and supplies.
        As far as videotaping conferences is concerned, this is possible although consider the additional expense. As a note to you, the conferences were indeed recorded several years back for that very purpose and to date, I don’t believe that anyone ever asked to check them out. The idea was abandoned by the Board when it was evident that it was a waste of time and money to do so. If you would like to have this reconsidered you may ask the Board to place it on the agenda for the Spring Board meeting.
        “Closer CE would be wonderful, bring more seminars to Casper.” Wyoming is a very rural community, which makes the WSRT’s job of providing continuing education very, very difficult. The Spring seminars that were done through teleconferencing, although popular in opinion were a bust in practice, and were quite costly, nearly bankrupting the WSRT. People promised to participate, then they didn’t and the Board felt it was necessary to eliminate the expense. Local seminars are still encouraged and the WSRT will gladly help you set it up for accreditation, free of charge. As far as conferences in Casper, the next WSRT conference will be held in Casper at the Parkway Plaza.
        “…….education of management wouldn’t hurt……. need to improve respect from administration, they treat us like we’re a dime a dozen.” Fair enough, how can the WSRT help you with this? Let us hear your ideas.
        “….. more continuing education at affordable prices.” “decrease WSRT fees and increase education opportunities…… too expensive for what it does.” Generally, education through seminars can run anywhere from ten to fifteen dollars per hour on the average. For instance, a conference in Greeley this year will run $49 for five CEU’s but only if you preregister. Otherwise it’s $59. The conference at St. John’s in Jackson will run $249 for 20 CEU’s. The Nebraska Conference for this year runs at $10 per CEU for members. The WSRT conference was under all of these at $9 per CEU. Still, we will continue to look for ways to reduce costs.
        “be more friendly to its members………., we have attended almost all of the state seminars. We have never found, but a few fellow technologists there to be friendly and …. have overheard remarks about one or all of us that have been totally incorrect…….. I feel it is important to support our state societies but have come to the conclusion that we will now consider attending elsewhere.” I find it difficult to respond to this as I’m not sure quite how to do so. Certainly, the WSRT as an entity regrets any misunderstandings or circumstances that discourage its members from attending functions. However, I’m not sure that the WSRT can control the discussions of its members. We can ask that all members try to exercise some discretion in their discussions with others and we can all try to learn a lesson here that everyone’s feelings can be hurt by a careless remark. We are sorry that you have had a bad experience and hope that you will reconsider your position.
        “I don’t feel the WSRT does much for us. I think you should help fight for better wages and provide more opportunities for continuing education.” The WSRT is fighting for better wages through its efforts in supporting federal minimum standards. Better wages should follow a gain in professional status. As far as providing opportunities for education we are glad to accommodate requests from the members if possible. However, in turn, you as members need to support efforts by the Board to provide opportunities. The Spring conferences were not well supported statewide and were very, very costly to the Society. It was impossible to continue the teleconferences without better participation from areas other than Cheyenne and Casper. As an alternative, the WSRT is happy to assist you with getting CE’s approved for local events. For instance, a project is underway in Cheyenne right now to sponsor one-hour lectures with dinner. The idea is to meet at a local eatery, have dinner then listen to a one-hour lecture for one CEU. Everyone can pay for his or her own dinner and the WSRT can assist with getting the lecture accredited. This may be possible with very minimal expense, perhaps $1 to $2 per person to cover mailing and printing expenses.
        “To open the Cowboy Cathode and see Colorado as the main focus for education, etc., is unacceptable. What are we doing for Wyoming? I might as well join the Colorado society.” One focus of the WSRT is to provide as many educational opportunities for you, its members, as possible. Obviously, not everyone can attend the single Annual Conference that the WSRT holds each September, as someone has to remain working in the hospitals and clinics statewide. I feel it is our obligation to inform you, our members, of any other educational opportunities that are available from other regional affiliate societies. We are working at forming workable cooperative alliances with our neighbors in Colorado and Nebraska to bring you the very latest information on possibilities for education. I would ask you to please not feel that we are in competition with another state society. We’re not. We are all under the big umbrella of the ASRT and are simply different affiliates of that entity. In that spirit, I invite you to join their society, as well as ours.
        “I don’t need the WSRT as I am already a member of the ASRT. Why should I join both?” 
I added this concern, not as a part of the official survey although it comes up many, many times when discussing the WSRT to people around the state, so I thought I would comment about it. You certainly can belong to only one or the other as you choose. However, you need to remember that no other entity other than the affiliate societies control the ASRT. In other words, if you want a voice at the national level you must do so through your local affiliate society. That’s why we send our two representatives from Wyoming each year. Additionally, as a member of the WSRT you are represented in a much larger region that includes Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico called Region 3. Through this regional representation, your concerns have additional support in the House of Delegates each year. As a member of the WSRT, you are represented and have a voice in your future through the ASRT. If you aren’t a member of the WSRT but join the ASRT, you have all of the wonderful benefits of belonging to the ASRT such as automatic CE tracking, insurance opportunities, etc. but unless you join the local affiliate, you have no means to be heard in running the national organization or what it’s involved with. I encourage you to think about belonging to both.

Wyoming Board of
Radiologic Technology

        The Wyoming Board of Radiologic Technologist Examiners has released its new Rules and Regulations as of May 27, 1999. These new Rules and Regulations clear up some previous technical problems concerning Special Licenses issued to students among some other issues that were brought out two years ago. The new Rules and Regulations are a result of a cooperative effort between the WSRT and the WBRTE.
        The Wyoming Board of Radiologic Technologist Examiners welcomes its newest member. Shelly Breazeale was appointed by the governor as the RT representative after Barb Jordan announced her retirement. Shelly is an RT at the Cheyenne Veteran’s Administration. Thanks to Barb for a job well done.
        The WBRTE also announces that Wyoming now has three RPA’s. (Radiology Physician Assistants).

ASRT Leadership Conference

        The American Society of Radiologic Technologists will conduct their fourth annual Leadership Conference in January in Albuquerque. The Leadership Conference is a week long, intensive seminar hosted and paid for by the ASRT to enable potential leaders of affiliate societies to better serve their members. It’s our pleasure to announce that Starla Mason, President-Elect of the WSRT was nominated and accepted to attend this next Conference.
        The ASRT also conducts a two-day compressed version of the Conference during the National Convention in June that is called the Leadership Academy. We are allowed to send two people to the academy each year and will receive a $500 check from the ASRT if both people attend both days. If you would like to attend next year’s acedemy, also in Albuquerque, please notify the WSRT Board as soon as possible.

Grass Roots Campaign
Linda Holden

        We have to talk about "Grass roots"!!!! Not only in the WSRT, but all occupational ionizing workers are about to embark on legislation that will hopefully bring us one step further to that professional level that all of us aspire. The legislation that we will see come to the House and Senate is on its way and all of us may be called upon to do some small part to ensure its passage. I urge all of you to write or call Senators Thomas, Enzi and Representative Cubin. Please read the legislative report in this issue for more information concerning the federal legislation.
        I urge you to be knowledgeable on this topic and if you aren't sure of your information, the ASRT can help. Call 1-800-444-ASRT! There is legislative staff who can get information, send or fax anything you may need to share with your congressman. Do not be afraid to stand up for your profession, in fact people will respect us more if we all stand united and committed to this necessary legislation.
        At the conference I also included a letter for everyone to send to our congress people in Washington. These letters are prewritten to each person so all you have to do is sign it, place it in an envelope and send it to them. Regretfully, I misaddressed the letter to Senator Enzi so please don’t send that one without correcting it first. Please contact me for additional letters if you need them to send in.
        I have also begun the grass-roots call tree for the WSRT and submitted it to the Board for follow-up. This system will effectively allow us to contact you very quickly if we need to for issues we hear about from the ASRT that need quick action.
        In the past, whenever the WSRT has been called upon to act, regardless of what it was, we have always responded and acted and I am very proud of that and equally as proud of this group of people, the WSRT, that I call my family.

Nominations

Don’t forget National Radiologic Technology Week this year from November 7 through the 13! The ASRT promotes NRTW® to promote public awareness of the contributions of RT’s to patients, hospitals, clinics and the community at large. Products for NRTW® will be available from the ASRT this month.

        During the last year, our profession launched the largest national legislative campaign in its history. The bill is called the Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance Act of 1999, This proposed legislation would require the states to adopt minimum standards for the education, certification and licensure of individuals who perform medical imaging examinations and deliver radiation therapy treatments. It would amend and enforce the Consumer-Patient Radiation Health and Safety Act of 1981.
        This legislation would protect Americans in three ways

        The conference was a great success. As one of the speakers said, "If you learn just one thing, you are better than you were before you came in.", and I can say I did learn more than one thing.
        As the WSRT President, I was blessed with a wonderful, hard working board this year. I want to thank each one of them as they step down from their positions for being such a great group to work with. As they go on to other things I hope they will continue to work in the WSRT and consider running for office again. If you do it once, then you know that there is always someone who will help you and you are never alone. Again, thanks, so much!
        I want to thank everyone who voted for me and gave me the opportunity to do this (president thing) one more time. I think it was easier this time and much more relaxed for me than it was when I was president in the 80's. Ouch..........that long ago????
        Survey News - If you participated in the WSRT survey of licensed radiological workers and haven't had a chance to read the outcome of that survey I urge you to read it. There is a lot of information out there that we as members need to address. I think that this was a good thing to do and I hope that the new board will be able to use the information to improve this Society and its endeavors.
        In the next issue of the Cathode I will be responding on how the survey was completed, where there are some interesting data and where we might try to make changes to reflect the need that has been demonstrated by the survey.
        Until then, as this article, just shy of being a novel ends. I say, thank-you so much for allowing me to be your president.

        Most people ask what does the WSRT do for me or for that matter for anyone? I have spent a lot of my time trying to answer that, which used to upset me that it was even asked. So, this time I decided to look at it a little differently. I want to tell you where I would be if I hadn't joined the WSRT in 1981. The one thing I can say, for absolutely sure is that I wouldn't be HERE. When I joined the WSRT, my membership came with 4 issues of the Cathode and cheaper registration at conference and seminar time. But I was given so much more and I didn't even know it. I got plunked down on a one way road that allowed members a way to travel toward new ideas and technology. Plus this new membership not only set my travel agenda, it also came equipped with a family and a host of new friends across the state.
        With a simple WSRT membership: I was given an open opportunity to learn and to better myself in my career. I was also given an opportunity to grow independently of my job. I learned people skills, writing skills and even got to travel and widen my horizons, which added even more radiological family to what I already had in Wyoming. Because of my association with the WSRT I know that I received better jobs offers and as I matured, my opportunities continued to grow which allowed me to move into management and even teach. All I had to do was just avail myself of these opportunities and continue to educate myself.
        So..............as I write this..............I just want you know that as I stood in the shadow of those in the WSRT "way back when", I used the opportunity to learn and grow which allowed me the freedom to create my future. If you want the option of creating your own future, that option is available for anyone of you who only take the time to get involved and makes a commitment, not to the WSRT, but to yourself.
        So now, why should you join the WSRT?
        Because you are committed to yourself, that is why.

National Radiologic
Technology Week® 1999

        ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - X-ray. Ultrasound. Magnetic resonance. Computed tomography. PET scans. In the century since the discovery of x-rays a vast array of new trends and practices have changed the face of medical imaging and radiation therapy. National Radiologic-Technology Week® (NRTW), Nov. 7-13, 1999, celebrates the achievements of radiologic technologists who provide quality patient care and operate the equipment that enable physicians to diagnose and treat diseases.
        "National Radiologic Technology Week® is about being involved in the community, letting other health care workers and the public know about the beneficial impact that medical imaging and radiation therapy have on patient care," said ASRT President Michael Ward, Ph.D., R.T.(R), FASRT. "During NRTW® radiologic technologists must voice the importance of education, training and practice standards for everyone working in the radiologic sciences."
        The theme of this year's NRTW® is Making Waves in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy. The theme not only alludes to the invisible electromagnetic, sound and laser waves used in the radiologic sciences, but also the tremendous impact radiologic technologists have had in improving the overall quality of patient care.
        Today, more than 200,000 registered medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals work in hospitals, doctors' offices, clinics and imaging centers around the country. However, the public is generally unaware of the key role radiologic technologists play in the modern health care system.
        "Radiologic technologists combine elements of a number of different fields, from hands-on patient care to working with highly technical computerized systems," notes Mr. Ward. "Radiologic technologists are an integral part of the health care team helping to tie together all elements of patient care."
        The American Society of Radiologic Technologists started NRTW® to promote public awareness of the radiologic sciences and celebrate the positive contributions of medical imaging and radiation therapists in providing quality patient care and a safer radiologic environment for patients. The first NRTW® was July 22-29, 1979. The following year NRTW® moved to the week in November coinciding with Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen's discovery of x-ray on Nov. 8, 1895.
        ASRT is the oldest and largest national, not-for-profit member association representing medical-imaging and radiation therapy professionals, with a membership exceeding 78,000. Since 1920, ASRT has helped foster the professional growth and educational needs of radiologic technologists throughout the world. The Society represents individual practitioners, educators, students and managers/administrators in radiography, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine and sonography. Originally based in Chicago, ASRT moved its executive offices to Albuquerque in 1983.
       Radiologic technologist's dedication to patient care and creating positive change in the delivery of health care is what NRTW® 1999 is all about. They are Making Waves in the way health care is delivered around the world.

If you have any contributions to the Cowboy Cathode
please send them to cowboycathode@wsrt.org
or mail them to 2615 East 18th Street, Cheyenne, WY., 82001