The American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) has decided to discontinue its annual conference, bringing to an end an event that has been a tradition for radiologic technologists since the 1920s.
In 2008, the Albuquerque, NM-based society will replace the conference with its ASRT Annual Governance and House of Delegates meeting. The general education portion of the meeting will be eliminated in favor of a new emphasis on the ASRT's governance system, according to the society.
In a statement, the organization said that it made its decision after recognizing the need to devote an entire meeting "to address the practical issues that face the radiologic science profession." ASRT chairman Cynthia Daniels said that trying to combine a continuing education (CE) conference with a governance meeting meant that neither received the proper prominence nor attention.
The board of directors had examined the annual meeting's role and format for several years before deciding to discontinue it, according to the ASRT. The society had hosted the annual conference since the early 1920s.
Daniels said it had become obvious that the general education portion of the meeting had outlived its usefulness. With so many CE options available now for technologists, including online learning, the organization felt that it was hard to justify the expense of producing a national CE conference, she said.
The first meeting under the new format will take place June 13-15 in Albuquerque. The first seating of the House of Delegates will take place on June 13, with the second seating to take place on June 15. June 14 will be a delegate education day, with courses scheduled on topics such as a refresher on parliamentary procedures and updates on practice-related issues.
The ASRT said it would also allot time for networking functions, including a welcome reception and pin exchange, a fellows elevation ceremony, the president's reception, and fundraising events for ASRT-PACS and the ASRT Education and Research Foundation.
ASRT will not charge a registration fee for the meeting, although delegates, visitors, and guests will need to register for the meeting via the ASRT's Web site. Registration will begin in early 2008.
By Erik L. Ridley
AuntMinnie.com staff writer
October 5, 2007
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