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b.8.16.18 Lewis Kull memorial Cynthia. Christie Plenary (71)

773 Attend ASET 2018 Embracing the NOLA Spirit

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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.

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Board Briefings – Fall 2018

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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 

Mailing Address: 140 Adams Avenue, Suite B 13 

Hauppauge, NY 11788 

Email Inquiries: [email protected]. 

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.

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Committee Corner – Fall 2018

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Welcome to the Committee Corner, where you’ll find important updates from designated committees.

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ASET-CONTINUING EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Continuing Education Chair: Meredith Milton, R. EEG/EP T., RPSGT

For this issue of ASET News, we thought to provide you with the following infographic featuring tips from our committee. We hope you find it helpful.

Committee Members: Emily Kale, Magdalena Warzecha, Tina Miller, and Richard Vogel

Staff Liaisons: Faye McNall, Director of Education, Olivia Cottingham, Registration & CEU Manager

HISTORICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Chair: Brian Adkins, R. EEG T., CNIM

Hello everyone. It is truly amazing how time seems to fly by. It seems like yesterday that we were talking about preparations for the annual meeting in NOLA and here it is nearly a month past.  I wanted to say a special thank you to all of you who stopped by the HAC booth.  It was an honor to meet and talk with everyone.   I wanted to give a special thank you to Carol Bonar, Connie Kubiak, Christopher Moses and Cindy Swick for your time of hosting the booth with me.  We had some special moments including the opening of a time capsule from a disbanded local Neurodiagnostics chapter GNOEA (Greater New Orleans EEG Association).   Also, it was amazing to everyone’s reaction to the “paper” EEG records, even bringing some to tears.  What a good time we had!

Now as we say goodbye to NOLA, we now look ahead to ASET’s 60th Anniversary Meeting to be held in Kansas City next year.  The HAC will be working to create a wonderful display capturing where we have been as a Society for the past 60 years.  That’s six decades of technologists making a difference in the lives of our patients.  Not only will we have paper records but we will have a live Grass Model 8 running on a live patient.

Together with current members, the HAC invites the ASET members to assist us in collecting photos, along with descriptions, of past equipment and supplies used by technologist and physicians in the field of Neurodiagnostics. Once completed, these photos and descriptions will be placed into the Virtual Museum via the ASET website.  We are also pleased to let our membership know that we have continued a relationship with the Smithsonian Museum to help them collect historical Neurodiagnostic artifacts.  If you have any photos of your past equipment or supplies, please let us know, either communicating with me at [email protected] or forward to Olivia Cottingham at ASET ([email protected]).

We’d LOVE to hear from you.

Committee Members:  Connie Kubiak, Patti Baumgartner, Carol Bonar, Kelly Clement, Christopher Moses, and Michael Young.

Staff Liaison: Olivia Cottingham

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA COMMITTEE

Chair:  Meredith Milton, R. EEG/EP T., RPSGT

We hope you enjoyed engaging with ASET during the 2018 Annual Conference. Our mobile app adoption rate this year surpassed 100 percent, due to multiple downloads. Thank you to those of you who participated in the Scavenger Hunt. We loved seeing the photos come in and hope you enjoyed the contest. The winner of the Apple iPad sponsored by Ambu was Erica Collins. Additional prizes were awarded as listed below:

Cloe Spaeth – $200 VISA gift card sponsored by Cadwell Laboratories

Nicole Sadaf Owens – $100 VISA gift card sponsored by Rochester/AMC

Mandy Bridges – $100 VISA gift card sponsored by Rochester/AMC

Dana Gagnon – Real Time Neuromonitoring Gift Bag sponsored by RTNA

If you missed the Closing Session and were not able to pick up your prize, please email Maliha Khan, Marketing & Social Media Manager, at [email protected].

Additionally, we held a Poster Quiz contest again this year with the grand prize being a complimentary 3-day ASET 2019 Conference Registration. Congratulations to Jessica Santoro! We can’t wait to see you in Kansas City, MO, and celebrate 60 years of ASET.

In case you missed it, here’s a facebook live video that gives a glimpse into the Welcome Reception held on Friday, August 17.

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this conference a success. We truly enjoyed engaging with you. Next month, expect to see a social media campaign in support of Epilepsy Awareness Month. As Neurodiagnostic Technologists, we all know someone who has or is currently battling this disease. It is important that we show our support and help raise awareness. We hope that you will participate in our campaign to do just this.

Committee Members: Petra Davidson, Luann Helepololei, Latreece Holliday. Renee Maiberger, Erica Rappard, Jennifer Vierkant, and Patty Warf

Staff Liaison: Maliha Khan, Marketing & Social Media Manager

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

Chair: Cherie Young, R. EEG T., CNIM, FASET

The Membership Committee would like to remind members in the Active and Associate class that they can enroll in the Auto-Renewal program. This program helps save you time, keeps you in good standing with the Society, and ensures that you receive a full year of membership so you will not miss out on any benefits and services available. To enroll, follow these easy steps:

  1. Log into the member login boxes of the home page with your username and password.
  2. On the Members Only Welcome page, click on the Profile.
  3. Select the Settings/Renewal Settings option and then the Enroll Now
  4. Complete the short enrollment form with payment information. No charges occur at the time of enrollment. Two weeks before your membership expires, you will receive a reminder email about the pending renewal. You will not need to take any action. Credit card processing for membership dues (and chapter dues if applicable) will occur automatically one week before your membership expires and you will receive an emailed receipt of the transaction.

If you choose to not enroll in the Membership Auto-Renewal program, you can simply renew your membership online before 12/31/2018.

  1. Log into the member login boxes of the home page with your username and password.
  2. On the Members Only Welcome page, scroll down and click on the bulleted item, Renew Online Individual Membership.
  3. From the Membership Renewal Form, verify your contact information is correct and enter in your payment information.
  4. Click Submit.

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New Member-Get-A-Member Reward Program

Have you heard about our Member-Get-A-Member Program? Any member in good standing of the Society who sponsors a new Active member will receive a $10 ASET gift certificate for use in purchasing any item in the ASET store, including webinar and online course registrations. To receive an ASET gift certificate by sponsoring a new Active member, all you need to do is have him or her enter your name where it asks for the “Sponsor’s Name/Who Introduced you to ASET” on either the hard copy or online member application form. When ASET receives the new Active member application, you will be notified by email about your certificate. Please keep your account information updated. ASET certificates will be mailed to the address we have on file for you.

There is no limit on the amount of credit that you can earn. The more new Active members that you sponsor, the more gift certificates you can accumulate. In addition, it does not matter what time of year the new Active member application is received. Even though the first-year dues are prorated, you can still receive the gift certificate simply by being a sponsor as long as you are a current member in good standing.

Some tips for recruiting your coworkers and colleagues:

  • Print the membership application and in the sponsoring member field, enter your name. Then, tell them how your membership in ASET has helped you and why you think they could equally benefit. Hand them the application, and invite them to join. To print the membership application form click here.
  • Take a couple minutes from your day to walk them through the online application process and when it asks who introduced them to ASET, make sure they enter your name. To access the online form click here

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PROFILE UPDATE REMINDER

Please remember to update your profile with your most current information to avoid delivery issues with your membership card, journals and notifications about upcoming events. If you have moved, gotten a new phone number or email, or received a new credential, you can update your profile by following these four easy steps:

  1. Log into your membership account at aset.org.
  2. Click on Profile.
  3. Under Contact Info you can edit your main contact information, including email, address, phone, credentials andlogin.
  4. Make sure to click update on each tab to save your updates.

If you have problems updating your information, simply email your changes to Kathy Wolff at [email protected].  ASET is dedicated to providing you, its members, with exceptional service and products for your continued success in the Neurodiagnostic profession.

Staff Liaison: Kathy Wolff, Membership Manager

NEURODIAGNOSTIC AND PATIENT ADVOCACY TASK FORCE (NAPA)

Chair:  Cheryl Plummer, BS, R. EEG T., CLTM, FASET

There was a presentation at the recent ASET conference introducing attendees to the Neurodiagnostic and Patient Advocacy (NAPA) Task Force titled A Task Force Cultivating Recognition For You.  It was presented by NAPA member, Judy Ahn-Ewing, BA, R. EEG/EP T., CNIM, CLTM, FASET.

The ASET NAPA Task Force was created to build awareness about the need for professional competence as it relates to patient safety by developing goals and strategies that will publicize the need for qualified, credentialed and licensed technologists. In the August presentation, Judy explained projects this task force is conducting to inform patient advocacy groups, hospital administrators, risk managers, HR personnel, and the Joint Commission. Messaging will focus on the potential risks related to patient safety, quality and medico-legal aspects of performing neurodiagnostic procedures. Ms. Ahn-Ewing also discussed future plans to work with organizations such as the Epilepsy Foundation to further stress the importance of professional competence as demonstrated by professional credentials, national standards of practice, and, ultimately, state licensure.

NAPA welcomes new member Nicklous D. Morrisette R.EEGT., CNIM.

Task Force Members: Mary Betinis, R. EEG T., Elizabeth Bouffanie, R. EEG T., CNIM, Judy Ahn-Ewing BA, R EEG/EP T,  CNIM, CLTM, FASET, Richard Foy, MBA, MSHA, Kathryn Hansen BS, CPC, CPMA, Adam Kornegay, LPN, R. EP T., CNIM, Cindy Miller,  R. EEG T.,CNIM, R. NCS T., Nicklous D. Morrisette R.EEG T., CNIM, Elizabeth Mullikin, R. EEG/EP T., CNIM, Marc Nuwer, M.D., PhD

Staff Liaison: Maureen Carroll, BS, CNIM,  R. EEG T., RPSGT, Online Education Developer

RESEARCH COMMITTEE

Chair: Christine Scott Blodgett, MA, R. EEG/EP T., CLTM, FASET

The Research Committee continues to collect quarterly data about employment trends in the Neurodiagnostic Technology profession. These data will be presented to the membership at the end of the year and the RC will continue to collect quarterly data to update the membership on employment trends in the market annually and with comparisons from year to year.

Additionally, the RC is developing a project proposal to present to the Board of Trustees during the November monitoring meeting, which focuses on monitoring accuracy and the extent to which the number of monitors influences the accuracy of seizure detection.  We are still in the early stages of planning this project, but once developed and approved by the BOT, we will be recruiting ASET members and 2019 conference attendees to assist us with the goal of advocating for patient safety by determining the safest patient-to-technologist ratio for Long-Term Monitoring in Epilepsy.

Committee Members: William J. Bosl, Ph.D., Melissa Cobos, BS, R. EEG T., Margie Dieter-Murphy, R. EEG/EP T., Brian Galdis, BS, R. EEG T., CLTM, Todd Ham, BS, R. EEG T., CLTM. Rebecca Khozein, MBA, DOM, MS, R. EEG/EP T., RPSGT, R.NCS.T., Jacob Myers, BS, R. EEG T., Jie Zhang, BS. R. EEG/EP T., CNIM, CLTM, FASET

Staff Liaison: Anna Bonner, BA, R. EEG T., RPSGT, Director of Publications

STANDARDS AND PRACTICES COMMITTEE 

Chair: Linda Kelly, BS, R. EEG/EP T., R.NCS.T., CNCT, FASET 

The S&P welcomes Pat Lordeon, R. EEG T., FASET, of Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh and Erik Padilla, MBA, R. EEG/EP T., CNIM, CLTM, of Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago to the committee!!  

One of the goals of the S&P is to keep the ASET job descriptions up to date. We currently have subject matter experts evaluating and making recommendations for changes to these documents and we hope that before the end of the year we will have these open for public comment. It is important for us as a profession, to stay abreast of changes that may impact our practice. We are also working to create a new job description for a Neurophysiology Information Systems Analyst and for emerging technologies, such as MEG and Autonomics. As ABRET creates new exams for specialized modalities, we as practitioners want to remain involved and continue to pursue credentials that validate our competence.  

The S&P has also been tasked by the BOT to develop guidelines for writing Technical Descriptions for EEG and Long-Term Monitoring. We are always open to feedback and meeting needs to support our profession, after all, we work for you, the membership. Please feel free to contact us and/or the Liaison, Anna Bonner, for inquiries and suggestions.  

Committee Members: Susan Agostini, R. EEG/EP T., CLTM, FASET, Denise Bates, MBA/HCM, R. EP T., CNIM, Rebecca Khozein, MBA, DOM, MS, R. EEG/EP T., RPSGT, R.NCS.T., Trei King, BA, R. EEG T., CNIM, Pat Lordeon, R. EEG T., FASET, Erik Padilla, MBA, R. EEG/EP T., CNIM, CLTM, Cheryl Plummer, BS, R. EEG T., CLTM, FASET 

Staff Liaison: Anna Bonner, BA, R. EEG T., RPSGT, Director of Publications

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Susan Agostini

Our Commitment to You

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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,

NOLA Welcome ReceptionI 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.

Cheers,

Susan Agostini, R. EEG T., R.EP.T, CLTM, FASET

ASET President 

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ASET 2018

Network, Organize, and Learn with ASET

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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

Cynthia ChristieOur 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.

Dr. Aatif HussainAatif 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 BolderyCathy 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

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