2020 marks the first year for the ASET Virtual Annual Conference. As with any inaugural event, there is a list of unknown factors. Who will attend? What do we charge? How will we present the content? Who will present? How can we get sponsors? Who will sponsor? Not to mention the possibility of technical difficulties…
Over the past few months the ASET staff has been working behind the scenes to answer these questions and develop one of the most exclusive educational events for all Neurodiagnostic Technologists. A well-organized and planned out conference packed with CEU opportunities for all modalities. Whether your passion is EEG, LTM or IONM, this year’s conference will have something for everyone. You can earn up to 13 ASET CEUs all from the safety and comfort of your home or office. We have lowered the registration rates to just $150 (member pricing) for all three days and only $60 (member pricing) for individual daily registrations. We have significantly lowered the rate for Student registrations as well. Our mission is to provide you with affordable education resources that will improve your patients’ safety and quality of care and that is what we plan to do.
Another challenge to planning a virtual conference is determining the best platform for content delivery and ease of use. In recent months, we have all learned to adjust how we interact and communicate with our colleagues, friends and family. The flexibility of a virtual meeting is now vital in the workplace. It is how we talk to clients, patients, customers, parents, family members and coworkers on a daily basis. In August, ASET will host the Annual Conference using Zoom Meetings and Webinars, the most sophisticated, yet simple platform for presentations. Zoom allows the presenter to create a professional presentation in an uninhibiting format, while also allowing the audience to listen intently, ask questions, clap and even interconnect with one another. We will also be utilizing the ASET Annual Conference app where all of the meeting schedules, handouts, speaker bios, Zoom links, exhibitor profiles and networking will be supported. ASET is excited to learn more about this virtual experience and what it means for our members who are typically unable to travel or are based internationally.
ASET is fortunate to have a strong and supportive group of presenters who are just as passionate and dedicated to the field as we are! If you have not seen the recently released program schedule for the Annual Conference, it will not disappoint. We are offering three course tracks with four presentations each day. The Lewis Kull Keynote Address will be the only special lecture this year, but it is one not to miss. We will have an Awards Ceremony and a special session with ASET’s house band, The Dendrites! Each day is filled with excellent presentations in a friendly format that will allow you to participate without being overwhelmed or caught off guard. To see the full schedule, click here.
Last but certainly not least, is our colleagues from across the aisle, the men and women who show up each and every day with new products and ground-breaking tools to support your daily endeavors – our Exhibitors and Sponsors, the companies that keep us supplied with electrodes and paste and the equipment providers who are often standing side by side us during demos. Our vendors are equally dedicated and committed to the Neurodiagnostic field. Many of them have been, or currently are, Technologists themselves. Where would we be with out them? The ASET Annual Conference has always had a fantastic Exhibit Hall experience and we want to provide our vendors with a fun and engaging social event. The virtual Exhibit Hall will have companies from all areas of Neurodiagnostic Technology: recruiters, supply companies, equipment companies, educators, hospitals, etc. If you would like to arrange a one-on-one with a company, you will be able to schedule that through the meeting app. Furthermore, making this conference experience unlike any other.
We definitely do not anticipate having any technical difficulties during the Annual Conference. Practice makes perfect, and we will be practicing a lot! However, in the event that we lose a connection with the presenter or if your internet malfunctions, rest assured, the presentations will be recorded and available to attendees who have pre-registered for no additional cost.
The ASET Annual Conference is developed for you, with you in mind. Please consider registering for the first ever ASET Virtual Annual Conference. For more information, visit the ASET website or contact Linda Kelly, ASET Director of Education at [email protected].
ASET 2018 marked the Society’s 59th Annual Conference, held in New Orleans, LA, from August 16-18, 2018. The conference included two pre-conference workshops, more than 70 concurrent sessions divided into four tracks each day, three amazing Plenary Session speakers, poster viewings, a vibrant Exhibit Hall, and a Symposium to close out the record-breaking conference with more than 737 in attendance! Since 1992 only five annual conferences achieved attendance greater than this year’s conference. ” The NOLA spirit was felt in every corner of the conference space,” said Susan Agostini, ASET President.
The first Plenary Session kicked off with Cynthia Christie, CLM presenting on “Critical Thinking for the Health Care Team: Accelerated Skill Building.” Attendees participated in a special activity aimed at improving the outcome of decision-making steps in a team environment. On Day 2, Dr. Aatif Husain, M.D., was the Ellen Grass Memorial Lecturer. Dr. Husain presented on “Clinical Neurophysiology in the Treatment of Diseases.” Cathy Boldery, R. EEG/EP T., RPSGT, CNIM, CCT, FASET, was our Kathleen Mears Memorial Lecturer, whose session asked attendees to think about the most pertinent question of our times “How Can We Solidify the Future of Neurodiagnostic Technology?”
The annual conference is the perfect time to recognize those that impact the Neurodiagnostic community. Read the Board Briefings article to learn more about this year’s award recipients.
Embracing the NOLA Spirit
Attendees were asked to participate in our ASET 2018 Bucket List Scavenger Hunt this year, organized by the Marketing & Social Media Committee, to maximize their conference experience. Bucket list items included tasks such as “Take a Photo with a Past-President” and “Submit a Photo with Your Credentials at the Photo Booth.” The slideshow below displays some of the photo entries that were uploaded via the scavenger hunt. We would like to thank all of our attendees that participated in the challenge. Winners were announced at the closing session and are listed here in the Marketing Committee portion of the Committee Corner. If you were a winner, but were not present at the closing session to receive your prize, please email Maliha Khan, ASET’s Marketing & Social Media Manager, at [email protected].
The Mardi Gras Indians paraded through the Welcome Reception in the Exhibit Hall this year. The Mardi Gras Indians are a group of African Americans who pay homage to Native Americans by parading in Native American style beaded suits. In New Orleans and other places, the Native Americans helped African Americans during slavery. Slaves would run to the Indian areas and the Indians took them in to hide them from their slave masters. The Slaves were dressed as Indians in disguise, so the slave masters couldn’t recognize them. They often stayed and lived with the Indians, adopting their ways of life. Over a hundred years ago the parades started to celebrate this freedom. They celebrate with a combination of African, Native American, and original New Orleans drumming rhythms and song. The Mardi Gras Indians are a tradition that is handed down through generations by family and culture. It’s a way of life, sharing that Indian and African spirit of freedom and beauty to the neighbors of New Orleans and the world. We were glad to have the Mardi Gras Indians join us for the Welcome Reception. Attendees were handed masks and beaded necklaces at the entrance to join the celebration. Below see a video of the parade:
Thank you to those who attended and made our 59th Annual Conference a memorable one. We look forward to seeing our members in our hometown, Kansas City, MO, for ASET 2019 to be held from August 15-17, 2019. Stay tuned to ASET.org for more details coming soon.
The following is a synopsis of issues, policies, and positions that the Board of Trustees has acted on since the last reporting.
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Board Names Winners of 2018 Maureen Berkeley Award
The Maureen Berkeley Memorial Award was established in 1966 to perpetuate the dignity, stature and professional attitude that Maureen brought to the profession by recognizing outstanding papers in The Neurodiagnostic Journal. The award is given for the most outstanding educational article or paper written by a neurodiagnostic technologist during the year and published in the journal. Papers are nominated by the journal’s editorial board and then voted on by the ASET Board of Trustees. The recipients of this year’s award are Kristy Fox, BS, R. EEG T., CLTM, and Mary Ellen Wells, Ph.D., R. EEG T., RPSGT, R.NCS.T., co-authors of their paper, “Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome (FIRES): A Literature Review and Case Study.” The paper was published in the September 2017 issue of the journal.
Board Selects Recipient of 2018 Theda Sannit Award
The Theda Sannit Outstanding Educator Award was established in 1990 by the Philadelphia Regional EEG Technologists Association and the Eastern Society of EEG Technologists to honor Theda’s accomplishments and contributions to EEG. The award was first presented to Theda Sannit herself. In 1992, ASET continued the award on a national basis, recognizing outstanding educators in the field of neurodiagnostics. In light of Theda’s passing, this award now serves as memory to her legacy.
This year’s recipient of the Theda Sannit Outstanding Educator Award is Sharyn Katz, R. EEG T., FASET. Sharyn actually trained with Theda, and Theda was always proud of her commitment to education and development in the field of neurodiagnostics. Sharyn has been educating technologists as well as physicians for many years, and many owe their careers to her mentorship and guidance. She has a special skill and energy for providing one-on-one education to anyone in neurodiagnostics, and she tirelessly would take time from a busy schedule to sit down and go over important issues with any leaner. Sharyn has an unequaled passion and love for the profession and has a strong commitment to ASET. Most recently, Sharyn wrote the script and helped produce the Society’s video and online course on skin safety.
Board Names 2018 Class of Fellows Inductee
Any individual who has been a member of the Society in good standing for a minimum of ten continuous years and who is highly esteemed in the neurodiagnostic profession as evidenced by the giving of their time and talents in service to the Society and to the neurodiagnostic profession, and as an ambassador exemplifying and advancing the neurodiagnostic profession, is eligible for nomination and election as a Fellow. The conferment of Fellow is an honorary designation. Fellows are authorized to use the letters FASET for business and professional purposes.
This year’s lone inductee into the 2018 Class of Fellows is Anna-Marie Beck, MOL, R. EEG T. Anna-Marie is the Neurophysiology Program Manager – Education at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO, and Clinical Instructor at Johnson County Community College’s accredited Neurodiagnostic Technology Program, Olathe, KS. When asked about her most notable moments as a neurodiagnostic professional, Anna–Marie relayed that by far, the most notable moments are the messages from students letting her know that they have passed their board exams and are now registered technologists. Those words “I passed!” make her heart full.
Anna-Marie was inducted on August 17, 2018 at the Awards Ceremony Luncheon held in conjunction with the 2018 ASET Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA. For the list of Fellows inducted in previous years, select “Fellows” from the pulldown menu under the Membership tab of the ASET website, and then click on Fellow Inductees.
Membership Votes Down Proposed Bylaws Amendment
The proposed bylaws amendment that would have expanded the time for Past President Lifetime members to be eligible to again serve on the ASET Board of Trustees from three to twenty years was voted down by the membership. The amendment was placed before the membership for a vote at the August 16, 2018 annual business meeting held in conjunction with the 2018 ASET Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA. The majority of comments voiced against the amendment thought that 20 years was too long a waiting period.
New and Updated Neurodiagnostic Job Descriptions Approved – Board Tasks S&P Committee to Recommend Guidelines for Writing Technical Descriptions
As part of the Standards & Practices Committee’s cycle of reviewing and updating the neurodiagnostic job descriptions every three years, the board unanimously approved the committee’s recommended updates to the following job descriptions:
Neurodiagnostic Manager or Supervisor
Neurodiagnostic Director
Neurodiagnostic Technology Clinical Instructor
Neurodiagnostic Technology Program Director
Neurodiagnostic Education Specialist
The board also adopted the Standards & Practices Committee’s recommended revisions to the Neurodiagnostic Practice Levels description, and new job descriptions for Magnetoencephalography (MEG) Specialist I and Magnetoencephalography (MEG) Specialist II.
The updated job descriptions will be published in the third edition of ASET’s “Handbook of Neurodiagnostic Job Descriptions and Competencies.”
In related action, the Board tasked the Standards & Practices Committee to draft a position statement for writing technical descriptions for EEG and LTM tests.
New York Petition for Chapter Formation Approved
The ASET Board of Trustees unanimously approved the petition for formation of the New York Chapter of ASET – The Neurodiagnostic Society. The territory covered by the new chapter is the State of New York. It replaces the Tristate Chapter. Contact information for the new entity is as follows:
President: Justin Silverstein, DHSc, CNIM, R. EP T., R.NCS.T., CNCT
Clarification to ASET/ABRET Joint Statement of Renewed Commitment
An ASET/ABRET Joint Statement was distributed to the ASET membership in an August 8, 2018 broadcast mail. The statement also is posted on the ASET and ABRET websites. Apparently, not all ASET members were familiar with the referenced “divisive issue” in the statement.
The Joint Statement reads as follows:
On July 21, 2018 the Officers and Executive Directors of ASET and ABRET met in Chicago for a mediated session, led by an independent facilitator, to encourage a candid conversation in order to understand and process the differences and unintended consequences of a recent divisive issue. The goal of the session was to develop a process framework for future discussion of common issues that may result in conflicting positions, and for identifying collective strategies for resolving any such conflicts.
The principles agreed to during the session were framed as follows: (1) Assume that each organization and their respective governing bodies have good intent for the community of Neurodiagnostic professionals; and (2) Engage in candid discussions while respecting the unique fiduciary responsibilities of each organization. The framework will be incorporated into the Memorandum of Understanding which was executed in September 2017 between the two organizations.
“Helen Keller once said, ‘Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.’ The commitment ABRET and ASET shares to having a strong collaborative working relationship is vital to the advancement and protection of the Neurodiagnostic profession. It is our pledge to remain devoir to enhancing the unification of our organizations through mutual respect and support. I was truly inspired by the devotion and adoration that was exhibited by both Executive Committees during our session.” –Sabrina Faust, ABRET President
“ABRET and ASET have separate missions, but similar visions and values. Both organizations are dedicated to better the profession of Neurodiagnostics and desire our technologist colleagues succeed in their careers. During my tenure as ABRET Executive Director, ASET and ABRET have enjoyed a supportive and respectful relationship, and we desire that to continue through future intelligent collaboration. This is a commitment to move forward together.” –Janice Walbert, ABRET Executive Director
“The Executive Committees of ASET and ABRET have identified and agreed on a framework for restoring the valued partnership between our two organizations that has been in place for oh so many years. Neurodiagnostic technologists, whether they are ABRET certificants, ASET members, or both, will certainly benefit from the mutually renewed commitment to cooperation and advancement of the Neurodiagnostic profession.” - Arlen Reimnitz, ASET Executive Director
“The Neurodiagnostic Technology landscape is constantly evolving, and now more than ever we are faced with new threats and challenges that have and will continue to impact our field in many ways. Coming together to strategize on best ways to handle those situations is essential. I was inspired by the spirit of collaboration and desire to work together to strengthen our relationship that was demonstrated during this session. Both ASET and ABRET shared a commitment to maintain a strong alliance to serve our Neurodiagnostic community with respect, improved communication and unity now and for years to come” - Susan Agostini, ASET President
The “divisive issue” was simply a substantive disagreement between ASET and ABRET over some of the language in the Registered Neurodiagnostic Technologist Title Protection Act drafted by ABRET and introduced in the Illinois Senate as SB 3126 this past February. ASET’s position was that all neurodiagnostic credentials and their respective credentialing bodies that define the occupational title of Neurodiagnostic Technology needed to be included in the bill. ASET also had a concern on whether an on-the-job trained technologist who holds at least one of the ABRET credentials listed in the bill would meet the bill’s eligibility requirements for being included on the state’s registry list. Subsequently, amendments addressing both of ASET’s concerns were agreed to by ABRET and the Senate sponsor of the bill. Unfortunately, time ran out in Illinois’ legislative session for the Senate Committee to take action on the amendments or the bill. It is believed that the process framework that came out of the mediated session between the ABRET and ASET Executive Committees will go a long way toward heading off any potential future disagreements.
Policy for Surveying ASET Members Approved
ASET periodically receives requests for a list of members’ names and contact information for the purpose of surveying the members. Requests come from a variety of sectors, including ASET members, academics involved in research, related non-profit organizations interested in information about patient care and laboratory practices, providers, and device and drug manufacturers. As a caution against survey fatigue, the board adopted a policy for guiding the Society in determining the release and publication of ASET data and requests to survey its members. Under the new policy, access to ASET data will be determined on a case-by-case basis. All members and entities are eligible to apply for access to ASET members for research and/or publication purposes. The application requires a description of the specific data being requested and the purpose of the request; a written proposal to include research question, introduction of problem, proposed methodology and data analysis; copy of the draft survey instrument; and CV of the applicant. Applications are review by the Board of Trustees, which may request ASET’s Research Committee to further vet the application before taking final action.
In related action, the Board approved a request to send a survey targeted to the AEEG audience on safety in Ambulatory EEG and the home environment.
This article was written by Arlen Reimnitz, Executive Director at ASET.
Each quarter the current ASET President in office writes a personal message to the membership. In this article, Susan Agostini addresses issues currently affecting ASET members.
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My fellow colleagues,
I want to start by reminiscing about our 59th Annual Conference this past August in New Orleans. What a great conference! There were a total of (drum roll, please!) 737 attendees. Since 1992 only five annual conferences achieved attendance greater than this year’s conference. The NOLA spirit was felt in every corner of the conference space. I got to meet some great colleagues and spend quality time with great friends that I had not seen since our last year’s conference in Tucson. I am sure that all of you had a similar experience. Beyond the excitement that friendships and relationships brought, there was also the excitement of learning new technologies and sharing our knowledge with others. I saw so many new faces attending for the first time and I want to thank those of you who have attended our conferences before for approaching them and providing them with a warm welcome and assistance. I would like, once again, to recognize the hard work of the ASET staff, the program director/co-director, course directors, and Faye McNall for producing a great educational program.
I am happy to announce that ASET will be participating at the 2019 ACNS Annual Meeting in Las Vegas on February 6th-10th, 2019, with a great symposium: Setting Up For Success in LTM.
Equally exciting is to share our membership count year-to-date is at 6,080! We continue to grow as a Society and this means that hopefully more volunteers will emerge. We need YOU!
Recently, there were some social media postings related to ASET’s transparency and visibility. Some of the points related to dissemination of information relevant to our field were very well taken. Transparency is part of ASET‘s values statement. The concept of transparency, however, should not be interpreted as a decree to disclose every document and discussion, but rather, to be responsible and proactive in making information available when appropriate. Admittedly, based on some of the Facebook postings, sometimes we don’t always get it right when identifying “when appropriate.”
As presented at the Year in Review during our business meeting, we are in the process of redesigning our entire website, and we believe that we will better showcase the legislative action center with the new design. We have also recently retooled our Marketing & Social Media Initiatives Committee, and provided content training for the committee members for Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, with the goal of heightening the members’ use of the ASET Facebook page. Since the first of the year, our Facebook following has increased seven percent. We will post on the ASET Facebook page links to the ASET webpage on a regular basis, containing relevant updates.
I want to thank the ASET Executive Committee as well as the ASET Board of Trustees for their excellent volunteer work as stewards of our Society. The ASET Board of Trustees is comprised of volunteers in our field that have a true desire to serve our profession in a manner that goes beyond our daily service to our patients and colleagues at our workplace. When we swear, under oath, our commitment to serve our Society and our members, we accept all the responsibilities — and challenges — that come with it and act with the best intention and best interest of our Society at heart.
I would like to encourage you as an ASET owner/member, to:
1. Get involved. If you want to see changes and be part of the growth and progress of our field and Society, you need to cross the comfort zone threshold and participate in a committee of your interest or any other role where you feel you can be challenged and contribute the most.
2. Exercise your right to vote on our next elections. This is a vital role for all Society members. Every vote counts! If you would like to nominate someone that you think has the leadership qualities needed, please do.
3. Stay connected. We invite you to regularly visit ASET.org for new developments and to also engage with us on social media, especially the ASET Facebook page. We are also present on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Pay attention to emails that you receive from ASET and add [email protected] to your address book to prevent our emails from getting lost in the spam folder. This newsletter, ASET News, provides you with quarterly updates from myself, the Board of Trustees, ASET Committee Chairs, the ASET Staff, and more. This is one way to stay apprised of related issues to the Neurodiagnostic community and ASET. You may have noticed that you can now login to this site with the same credentials that you use for ASET.org, as we recently implemented a single-sign-on (SSO) solution. We are are continuously striving to make it more convenient for our members to stay current.
4. Contact the ASET office when you have questions, concerns, issues with an ASET initiative or action. It is your right as a member to raise concerns and ask questions directly with ASET. I ask that you feel free to share your ideas and potential solutions to problems that affect your Society.
I would like to emphasize that ASET is and will continue to be committed to serving our members, to advocate for our patients and to ensure that quality care and patient safety are achieved by providing education tools, by constant vigilance of any legislative actions that threaten our scope of practice and, most important, by collaborating, connecting and integrating efforts with all other organizations that share a vested interest in the future of our field.
Together we are stronger.
May this fall season be one of positive changes and renewal just like the different colors of the fall leaves bring a different scenery and beauty.
ASET is headed to the beautiful and captivating city of New Orleans for its 59th Annual Conference. The conference will be held from August 16-18, 2018 and features a fully-packed program, including two pre-conference workshops, more than 70 concurrent sessions divided into four tracks each day allowing you to customize your learning experience, three amazing Plenary Session speakers, poster viewings, and a symposium closing out the conference. View the preliminary schedule now to create your personal itinerary. There is something for everyone! ASET not only welcomes Neurodiagnostic technologists to the conference, but also students, physicians, healthcare providers, and vendors/suppliers offering products or services to those in the field. Get ready to network, organize, and learn with ASET,
MEET THE SPEAKERS: Plenary Sessions
Our Lewis Kull Memorial Keynote will be Cynthia Christie, CLM, presenting on “Critical Thinking for the Health Care Team: Accelerated Skill Building.” Christie has led teams from many hospital departments and has more than 20 years of experience in performance improvement. Her sessions have brought incredible inspiration and heart to health care workers.
Aatif Husain, M.D., is our Ellen Grass Memorial Lecturer and will be presenting “Clinical Neurophysiology in the Treatment of Diseases.” Dr. Husain is a professor of Neurology at Duke University Medical Center and director of the Neurodiagnostic Center of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, NC. He is also the director of the Evoked Potentials Laboratory at Duke University Medical Center. His presentation will focus on the long standing history and value in diagnosis of neurological diseases.
Cathy Boldery R. EEG/EP T., RPSGT, CNIM, CCT, FASET, will be answering the most pertinent question of our times, “How Can We Solidify the Future of Neurodiagnostic Technology?” Marion Menzel earned the first R. EEG. T. credential in 1964. Now, 53 years later there are less than 6,500 registered technologists to serve 5,534 hospitals in the United States. Will we survive? Boldery is the President/CEO of Neurodiagnotic TEX and has more than 30 years of experience. She is President of the Texas Neurodiagnostic Society and is actively working with lobbyists towards state licensure.
FOUR REASONS TO ATTEND: Network. Organize. Learn. ASET.
4. Networking, Need We Say More? – Our annual conference is the largest conference catered towards Neurodiagnostic Professionals with more than 600 in attendance, making it the perfect networking opportunity. The welcome reception on Thursday evening not only presents itself as an opportunity for us to give you a warm welcome, but also a chance for you to make new friends or possibly put that elevator speech to the test. Breaks between sessions allow you to meet poster presenters to learn new techniques and best practices, as well as meet with exhibitors during the breaks to learn about new product offerings and services. Join us Friday, August 17 for a night of entertainment featuring our very own band, The Dendrites. The Interest Section Luncheon on day three is a great way to meet people with the same interests.
3. Organize Your Career Goals – This conference provides you with the tools that you’ll need in your toolbox to advance your career. Thursday’s presentation on “Finding Your Professional Voice,” will show you how to improve your communication skills with patients and coworkers. On Friday, the Sundown Seminar titled “Building Your Professional Image” is a great opportunity to build a customized toolkit. From your resume to interview techniques, this seminar will help you prepare for job opportunities and promotions. For those interested in IONM topics, “Transforming Resistance to Acceptance of Neuromonitoring” will help you overcome negative reactions to your presence in the OR. The final plenary session of the conference is a Symposium on “Best Practices in Neurodiagnostics for Staffing and Productivity and Patient Safety.” This session will provide an opportunity to develop standards that you can implement in your everyday practice.
2. Learn About the Latest Trends in the Field – From discussing multimodality monitoring with video in the ICU, to learning about ROSA the Robot in epilepsy surgery, to state-of-the-art neurophysiological monitoring for thyroid surgeries, ASET’s annual conference will keep you current with the latest trends in our fast-changing technological world of Neurodiagnostics. The two-day Platform Presentation Program is the premier forum for sharing ideas for new techniques and research.
1. ASET CEUs –As a part of attending the conference, you may earn up to 23 ASET-CEUs. We’ve got you covered by providing an exciting, jam-packed conference, full of opportunities to expand your knowledge base, present and foster ideas, and learn beyond your current modality of practice.
Are you ready to Network, Organize, and Learn with ASET?
Register before July 6 to secure the early bird rate.
This article was written by Maliha Khan, Marketing & Social Media Manager, ASET
Epilepsy 911 is a very important community service event taking place in conjunction with the ASET 2018 Annual Conference in New Orleans. ASET is offering a four-hour educational session for Emergency Service Personnel, EMTs and First Responders on the topic of urgent care for epilepsy patients. Neurodiagnostic technologists are also invited to attend and CEUs will be offered to both EMTs and technologists.
Because neurodiagnostic technologists work so closely with epilepsy patients, we understand many of the challenges they face. We know how important it is for the urgent intervention of seizures to be performed in the correct manner. Bystanders, family members, and first responders need to recognize the event as a seizure and begin appropriate treatment as soon as possible. It is not always easy to recognize a seizure that includes atypical symptoms, or pediatric seizures such as infantile spasms. Appropriate treatment must be started quickly as complications and comorbidity, such as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), can become life-threatening. SUDEP is not well known, even in the medical community, so it is important that first responders and emergency personnel are aware of potential complications!
We have invited the EMTs in the New Orleans area to come to Epilepsy 911 on Wednesday, August 15 from 1:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m., the day before the ASET annual conference officially begins. Four interesting and educational presentations are scheduled with expert speakers who are well experienced with epilepsy treatment and managing emergency situations. The presentations are also very pertinent for neurodiagnostic technologists, so please consider registering for this special event with your annual conference registration. For EMTs that wish to register, please contact [email protected].
The full schedule and lecture descriptions follow:
Course schedule:
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Recognizing and Classifying Seizures and non-Epileptic Events that Resemble Seizures
By Robin C. Davis, M.D., Epilepsy Division, Department of Neurology, Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA
Learning objectives:
List the major categories of seizures according to the International Classification of Seizures
Recognize symptoms of all seizure types common to adult patients
Differentiate seizures from non-epileptic events which may resemble seizures
Consider factors that may have contributed to the seizure
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Pediatric and Neonatal Seizures – An Overview of Symptoms and Causes
By Shannon McGuire, M.D., Children’s Hospital, New Orleans, LA
Learning objectives:
Name the seizure disorders and epileptic syndromes that occur in childhood
Recognize the subtle seizure symptoms of the neonate
Recognize life-threatening events and contributing factors to pediatric seizures
3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Break
3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Complications of Seizures: Status Epilepticus, Post-ictal state, Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, Medical and Social Consequences
By Uma Menon, M.D., MBA, FACNS, FAES, International Center for Epilepsy, Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA
Learning objectives:
Define parameters of status epilepticus and recognize this life-threatening situation
Recognize features of the post-ictal state
List factors that contribute to SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy)
Name various comorbidities that occur as a result of epilepsy
Address the social implications of epilepsy
4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. Assessment of Seizures and Current Trends in Emergency Management of Seizures
By Rana Abusoufeh, M.D., Louisiana State University Health, New Orleans, LA
Learning objectives:
List methods to assess patient alertness and ability to respond
Develop skills to document a wide variety of seizure symptoms through astute patient observation
Determine which standard treatment options are appropriate for age, seizure type and other contributing factors
Discuss future assessment techniques that may be offered in the pre-hospital environment, such as EEG monitoring with telemetry
Are you hoping to attend the 2018 ASET Annual Conference, August 16-18, in New Orleans, LA, but are having difficulty in coming up with the funds? Then consider applying for a Company Sponsorship Scholarship (CSS) or ASETScholarship to cover the cost of your conference registration. Some scholarships also include a stipend to help offset your travel expenses to the event.
Thanks to the generosity and support of ABRET Neurodiagnostic Credentialing and Accreditation, Consolidated Neuro Supply, Inc., Lifelines Neurodiagnostic Systems, Inc., Nihon Kohden America, Neurotech, Rochester Electro-Medical, Weaver and Company, and WR Medical Electronics Co. the ASET Foundationis pleased to announce the availability of Company Sponsorship Scholarships to the 2018 ASET Annual Conference. To be eligible for the scholarships, all applicants must be ASET members for at least one year prior to the year of making the application. (Students with less than a year’s membership in ASETare eligible to apply for CSS student scholarships if they became a member of ASET at the time they enrolled in a neurodiagnostic training program.) Depending on the scholarship, additional eligibility requirements may be placed on candidates. For complete information on the scholarships available and eligibility requirements, click here. To download the CSS Scholarship application form, click here. There are no limits on the number of CSS scholarships for which you can apply as long as you meet the eligibility requirement(s).
A limited number of ASET Scholarships to the annual conference also are available. Each ASET Scholarship covers the cost of Full registration to the event. To be eligible for an ASET Scholarship, applicants must be ASETmembers for at least one year prior to the year of making an application. To download the ASET Scholarship application form, click here.
Individuals are not eligible for a CSS Scholarship or ASET Scholarship if they have received funding from the ASET Foundation within two years prior to making an application. The deadline for filing scholarship applications to the 2018 ASET Annual Conference is May 18, 2018.