New Mexico First State to Pass Licensure for Medical Imaging Professionals

On March 19th, the New Mexico Legislature passed the first sonographer licensure bill in the United States. The Bill, HB 498, is called the Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Rules Bill. The new Bill, which awaits the signature of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, ensures public health and safety by licensing all medical imaging professionals in New Mexico, including vascular technologists and sonographers. As a result of the Bill, New Mexico will now recognize and embrace existing national technologist/sonographer credentialing/certification examinations and CME requirements in the licensure process, thereby reducing the burden of licensure on vascular technologists. Thus, vascular technologists/sonographers in New Mexico that have a current credential from a national credentialing organization, such as ARDMS or CCI, will automatically be granted a license to practice in New Mexico without taking an additional exam.

One of SVU's most focused advocacy positions is promoting quality among our fellow medical imaging professionals. We feel this is best accomplished through credentialing of ALL non-physician personnel performing vascular (and other) ultrasound testing and other medical imaging testing, and through accreditation of facilities performing these tests. It is in this spirit that SVU strongly supports the work of the New Mexico legislature in passing HB 498, Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Rules, in both houses. This landmark measure fills a real void in quality assurance for New Mexico patients by mandating licensure, using the vehicle of well-established national credentialing bodies, for those who perform ultrasound testing procedures.

SVU has asked our members in New Mexico to contact Governor Richardson's office by phone or email to encourage him to sign this important bill into law in New Mexico.

Oregon Licensure Bill

The Oregon State legislature also is expected to pass a new Medical Imaging Licensure bill (HB 2245) this year that is very similar to the bill passed recently in New Mexico in using national credentialing as the requirement for licensure for those who perform ultrasound testing and other medical imaging procedures.

The Sonography Licensure Coalition (SLC), of which SVU is a charter member, has been instrumental in making sure that the best interests of vascular technologists and sonographers are represented in the state licensure bills in New Mexico and Oregon. The SLC will promote the New Mexico legislation as a template for other states to follow to ensure that all sonographers/technologists meet a minimum set of educational and cognitive standards before performing vascular ultrasound exams on their patients.