My year as president of SNMMI-TS has flown by! I want to thank everyone who has assisted with the wide range of projects this year, from the quality and strategic membership initiatives to training opportunities and advocacy.
I view the strategic membership initiative, which is well under way, as essential to ensuring that SNMMI-TS proactively attracts new members and provides all members with the services they want and need. We conducted an electronic survey of the perceptions, challenges, and needs of technologists, and the committee is now analyzing the data to gain a clear understanding of
which benefits our members are using (and which they are not) and what additional benefits are needed;
why potential members are not joining;
what issues are of concern to current and transitioning students, as well as recent graduates; and
how we can enhance communication with members.
Student outreach has been a key part of the strategic membership initiative. Getting students actively involved at the beginning of their careers will greatly benefit the Society now and in the years ahead.
The educator advocate project will help increase nuclear medicine technology students’ awareness of member benefits and the discounted membership rate available for those transitioning from the SNMMI-TS free student membership. Each committee member is calling a group of university program directors and asking the following questions:
Would you or the other faculty members in your program assist in distributing surveys and forms to graduating students, if the materials were provided by the SNMMI-TS membership committee?
Would you be willing to assist in gathering information and fees from your students who will be transitioning from free to full membership after graduation? If not, why?
What are your initial thoughts or concerns surrounding this initiative?
Stay tuned for the results of this university survey and the larger membership survey! I would like to add that it has been my great pleasure to mentor the students who participated in the 2015 SNMMI-TS Leadership Academy. Their enthusiasm and dedication inspire me and assure me that our field is in good hands going forward.
SNMMI’s Marketing and Membership Department has launched a recruitment campaign titled “Vote Yes to Becoming an SNMMI Member” that will run through June. This outreach effort is using email, direct mail, and video to get the word out—providing information on key membership benefits, resources, advocacy, and ways to make a difference at the local level.
Providing the highest quality of care is always our ultimate goal. In a field evolving as rapidly as ours, this requires continuous learning and vigilance. Through the SNMMI-TS quality initiative, we are working to ensure that technologists have the resources and training opportunities to stay abreast of current appropriate-use criteria.
The quality committee is collaborating with leading educators in the nuclear medicine field, as well as with The Joint Commission, to evaluate the current nuclear medicine curriculum and determine what the standards should be for entry-level employment.
The Technologist Section is also focusing on increasing the quality of the overall patient experience by ensuring that the best possible safety measures are in place and by sharpening the focus on effective reporting to assist doctors with definitive assessments that will drive high-quality care.
Advocacy for research funding, approval of new radiopharmaceuticals, and appropriate reimbursement is an ongoing effort. We have had some notable victories, such as the separation of PET studies from other nuclear medicine studies in the final 2016 ruling of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and increased funding from the Department of Energy for nuclear medicine research. However, we must continue informing members of Congress of the value of nuclear medicine and the need for proper reimbursement.
At the local, regional, and national levels, we have worked to inform the public about the exciting advances and benefits of nuclear medicine. Putting together educational programs takes time and effort. The more participants, the lighter the work for each. So, please continue participating in your local chapter and seek opportunities to make a difference at the regional and national levels. I encourage you to take on leadership roles; fresh ideas are always welcome!
I have been so honored to serve as SNMMI-TS president, and I will be turning over the leadership to the capable hands of Sara Johnson. She is already hard at work addressing the critical issue of infringements on nuclear medicine technologists’ scope of practice. I look forward to assisting her in this effort on an issue that affects us all.