The American Society of Radiologic Technologists has donated $10,000 to the American Red Cross to assist with disaster relief efforts in Hawaii’s Maui County and Hawaii County. The donation is being made on behalf of the ASRT’s 156,000 members.

"The wildfire that hit Lahaina, Hawaii, is the deadliest U.S. fire in 100 years and people are in need of immediate support," said ASRT President Brandon A. Smith, M.B.A., M.S.R.S., R.T.(R)(VI), CIIP. "By providing this donation to the Red Cross, we’re confident that individuals affected by the wildfires will receive support that will help them on the path to getting their lives back in order."

ASRT currently has more than 300 members who live and work in Maui and Hawaii counties.

The Red Cross is working with its partners on the ground to mobilize relief supplies and disaster workers and is coordinating with local and state officials to support people in need.

"Many of our own members and their families may have been affected by this horrific devastation. We are also mindful that many R.T.s may be tasked with providing patients with care during this challenging time while trying to manage their own lives as residents of the area," said ASRT CEO and Executive Director Melissa B. Pergola, Ed.D., R.T.(R)(M), FASRT. "As a result, we want to provide as much support as possible."

With the destruction caused by the fires in Hawaii’s Maui County and Hawaii County, the ASRT Board of Directors and staff send their sympathy and concern to the hundreds of members and their families who live in Maui. Our thoughts are with all of you as you recover from these devastating fires.

We have implemented a measure to support our members affected by this disaster. For ASRT members in Maui County and Hawaii County, we have automatically extended your membership until November 1, 2023. This applies to members scheduled to renew within the next three months. You will retain your original join date and your member record will not show any lapse in membership.

If you have been displaced because of the fires and have a new mailing address, please update your membership record online by going to asrt.org/myinfo or by calling ASRT at 800-444-2778. Please note that the storm could affect the delivery of the August/September issue of ASRT Scanner and the September/October issue of Radiologic Technology.

Radiologic technologists who are concerned about their ability to meet their CE requirements should contact the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists at 651-687-0048, Ext. 8540. The ARRT establishes CE policies for its registrants.

Many ASRT members have contacted us to express their interest in assisting with relief efforts. Because ASRT does not have the infrastructure to organize disaster recovery efforts, we encourage our members to volunteer with reputable, established relief teams that are already in place. For example, those interested in volunteering for cleanup efforts, shelter operations or recovery teams can contact the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army or Samaritan’s Purse.

Members also may choose to support these organizations with financial donations. ASRT has donated $10,000 to the American Red Cross on our members’ behalf to support relief efforts.

Individuals who would like to donate can text HAWAII to 90999 to give $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief, which helps people affected by disasters such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires and tornadoes. For questions, please contact ASRT Member Services at 800-444-2778 or [email protected].

Again, we hope all radiologic technologists affected by the fires are safe, secure and on the path to recovery. Our thoughts are with you.

The ASRT is accepting nominations for national officers and chapter delegates interested in participating in 2024 ASRT election.

Each year, ASRT members elect national officers to serve on the ASRT Board of Directors and representatives for each chapter. The elected volunteers help the ASRT develop and implement strategic initiatives and influence the direction for the radiologic technology profession. The 2024 ASRT election will begin Feb. 13 and conclude March 5.

Nominations must be received by the ASRT office no later than Oct. 2, 2023.

The ASRT will contact nominees to confirm their desire to run for the position and to collect qualifying information. Nominees can access the election criteria and forms webpage for more information.

Submit Your Nominations

Please contact the ASRT Governance Department for specific questions about the nomination process.

ASRT invites applicants for the 2024 Student to Leadership Development Program. Applications are open from Aug. 1-Nov. 10, 2023, 11:59 p.m. Mountain time.

The three-year program allows students to experience the governance functions of ASRT, attend educational courses and learn about leadership positions in the association. All applications must be submitted through the online application.

Potential applicants should also contact their ASRT affiliate society for further application and selection guidance, which may include additional criteria or an earlier timeline.

2024 Student to Leadership Development Program Application

If you have questions, contact the SLDP team at [email protected].

The ASRT is seeking qualified ASRT members interested in serving on the Committee on Fellows, Committee on Nominations, Committee on R.T. Advocacy and Practice Standards Council.

The duties, qualifications and time commitments required for these openings are available through the links below:

Please contact ASRT Volunteer Services at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

To see all current positions available, visit the Open Volunteer Opportunities page.

ASRT staff, alumni and friends walked, ran or pedaled in support of the Lobo Cancer Challenge on Saturday, Sept. 23, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The ASRT Lobo Cancer Challenge team and generous supporters collectively raised $10,940 for the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center. The team honored loved ones and thanked medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals for their work in diagnosing and treating cancer.

This is the second year ASRT has participated in the Lobo Cancer Challenge.

All funds raised go to cancer patient care support, advanced research, community outreach, or education and training at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in New Mexico.

The ASRT Foundation is seeking qualified ASRT members interested in volunteer positions on the International Speakers and Corporate Sponsored Programs Review Committee, Research and Grants Advisory Panel, Research Mentor Advisory Group and Scholarship Review Committee.

The duties, qualifications and time commitments required for these openings are available through the links below:

Please contact ASRT Volunteer Services at [email protected] with any questions or concerns. To see all current positions available, visit the Open Volunteer Opportunities page.

The ASRT Government Relations Department has further expanded its efforts to support state regulations for medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals. The department recently updated the ASRT’s state regulation webpage, which allows users to find information about state licensing requirements, state radiation control program offices and states that license or regulate by modality.

"This is an additional step of transparency that we feel is vital to communicate to ASRT members and nonmembers so they can stay informed of states’ legislative practices,” said Jason Bradley, B.A., R.T.(R), CAE, ASRT’s vice president of governance and public policy.

In addition, technologists who want to contact their elected officials about legislative and regulatory issues can visit the ASRT Advocacy Action Center. It is a resource for the radiologic technology community to learn about what is going on in their states and provides tools for contacting state and federal officials.

States that Regulate

The ASRT is seeking qualified ASRT members interested in volunteer positions on the Best Practices in Digital Radiography Revision Committee.

The duties, qualifications and time commitments required for these openings are available through the links below:

Best Practices in Digital Radiography Revision Committee

Please contact ASRT Volunteer Services at [email protected] with any questions or concerns. To see all current positions available, visit the Open Volunteer Opportunities page.

It can be argued that the discovery of the x-ray by German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen on Nov. 8, 1895, was one of the most significant milestones in health care. His accidental discovery forever changed medicine and it has been a key tool in diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases for 128 years.

The news of Roentgen’s discovery spread quickly and far beyond its intended use. The general public’s interest in the newfound ability to photograph the inside of the body fueled imagination that brought misunderstandings and quackery. Photography studios began offering bone portraits. Detectives reportedly used x-rays to determine if spouses were unfaithful. X-ray glasses were said to allow users to see through or into solid objects. X-rays were used metaphorically as entertainment in political cartoons, newspaper stories and advertising.

The ASRT Museum and Archives located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, offers artifacts that manufacturers and advertisers in the early 1900s used to capitalize on the public’s fascination of the x-ray. On display is an advertisement for x-ray headache tablets that offered eight doses for 10 cents and an original bottle of x-ray horse liniment that advertises, “No farmer or stockman should be without.” Of course, none of these products had anything to do with x-rays and did not emit radiation.

Despite early-day misunderstandings, only two months after its discovery doctors in Europe and the United States were using x-rays for clinical purposes, to identify broken bones, tumors and foreign objects. The discovery also paved the way for the development of radiologic science modalities used today like computed tomography, mammography, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy and many others. For his work, Roentgen was awarded the first Nobel Prize in physics in 1901.

According to the World Health Organization, there are an estimated 3.6 billion diagnostic x-ray examinations performed annually in hospitals, clinics and health care settings worldwide. In addition, there are more than 450,000 registered radiologic technologists in the U.S., the health care professionals who perform medical imaging and radiation therapy procedures; they make up the third-largest group of health care professionals surpassed in number only by physicians and nurses.

Since 1979, the American Society of Radiologic Technologistshas celebrated National Radiologic Technology Week^® during the week of Nov. 8 to honor Roentgen’s discovery and recognize the vital work of medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals in patient care and health care safety. This year’s NRTW is Nov. 5-11, and the theme is “Patients Are Our Passion; Safety Is Our Priority.”