November 2005 | Vol. 23, No. 11

Industry News

AIUM, ARDMS and ICAVL Hire a Director of External Affairs

(Reprinted from the October 2005 ICAVL newsletter)

To develop and implement strategies advocating both ultrasound accreditation and credentialing as means of enhancing the quality of diagnostic ultrasound services, the ICAVL, along with the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) and the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS), work through collaborative efforts. To further strengthen these efforts, the joint position of Director of External Affairs was created in August 2005 to oversee the development of relationships with related organizations, medical colleges and specialty societies, and public and private payers.

Heidi R. Adams joins the ICAVL, AIUM and ARDMS staffs as the new Director of External Affairs. Ms. Adams will be responsible for monitoring and analyzing local and national Medicare, Medicaid and private-payer policies and their impact on the quality and availability of diagnostic ultrasound services. In addition, she will assist in the development and maintenance of a consensus-based strategic plan to implement adoption of ultrasound accreditation and certification. Ms. Adams will be instrumental in the development of reports, briefing materials, position papers, educational services and products/tools related to promoting the message of quality ultrasound procedures being linked to accreditation and sonographer certification.

When reflecting on her new role within the three organizations, Ms. Adams remarked, "The accreditation and certification efforts of AIUM, ARDMS and ICAVL are becoming more prominent as the healthcare industry becomes aware and conscious of effective performance measurement and standardization. It will be critical and essential to the future of proper diagnoses that the public, the government, and private organizations are educated about the positive effects accreditation and certification have on outcomes."

Allied Health Professions Week is Nov. 6-12, 2005

Allied Health Professions Week will be celebrated nationally from Nov. 6-12, 2005 to honor health providers working in the more than 200 unique allied health professions. Allied health practitioners, including vascular technologists, greatly influence health care delivery by supporting, facilitating, and complementing the roles of physicians and other health care specialists. This collaboration, which emphasizes the strengths of all health professions, is enhancing the quality of care in this country and abroad.

SVU urges its members to participate in Allied Health Professions Week since you are instrumental in maintaining a high standard of health care in your communities. For additional information on the 2006 Allied Health Professions Week sponsored by the Health Professions Network (HPN), go to the following website:

www.healthpronet.org/prog_resources/631_AlliedHBfinal05.pdf.