Associated Sciences Consortium
RSNA News continues its series highlighting the work of organizations working with RSNA in the Associated Sciences Consortium.
Association of Vascular and Interventional Radiographers
The Association of Vascular and Interventional Radiographers (AVIR) seeks to advance the professional education of its members and promote their profession throughout the medical community. AVIR members are interventional technologists, interventional radiology nurses, cardiovascular technologists, radiology physician assistants, vendor representatives and other associated professionals.
"AVIR is a national organization of professionals who are deeply committed to improving health and quality of life through the practice of vascular and interventional radiology," said Gregg Robinson, C.A.E., AVIR executive director.
The organization's annual scientific meeting, approaching its 19th year, provides Category A continuing education credits to member and non-member attendees. The next meeting, scheduled for March 2009, is expected to draw more than 400 participants.
"AVIR has strengthened its educational offerings with the Directed Readings program," said Robinson. "The program provides members with opportunities to earn additional Category A credits at their own pace."
In addition to its national presence, AVIR has 23 chapters across the U.S. to provide venues for earning CE credits closer to home.
The AVIR Web site provides a professional networking forum and a career center, as well as a list of study materials and links to colleges and universities with interventional medical imaging technology programs. AVIR's quarterly newsletter, the Interventional Informer, keeps members informed on AVIR programs as well as industry issues.
AVIR advocates for industry standards and actively promoted the Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence (CARE) in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy bill, which seeks Medicare education and credentialing standards for radiologic technologists and other professionals.
"AVIR is active in the development and maintenance of standards for interventional radiology professionals," Robinson said, noting that AVIR helped develop Practice Standards for Cardiovascular and Interventional Technology, a section of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) Practice Standards.
For information about AVIR, go to www.avir.org.
Resident Learning Portfolio Gains New Features
More than 30 institutions have registered to use the Resident Learning Portfolio, unveiled in July by RSNA in collaboration with the education committee of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology.
The Web-based portfolio is designed to assist RSNA resident members in recording their goals, accomplishments and progress during the course of their educational development. My Portfolio enables residents and their program directors to document their training activities and development, as now required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
New functions implemented since the portfolio launch include the capability to send an e-mail from within the portfolio and the option to link the credentials, case logs and/or evaluations to an external Web sites containing related information.
Access the Resident Learning Portfolio at RSNA.org/myportfolio. For additional information, or to register for portfolio access, contact the RSNA Education Center at 1-800-381-6660 x7772 or residents_portfolio@rsna.org.
RSNA Helps AAPM Celebrate 50th Anniversary
2008 RSNA President Theresa C. McLoud, M.D. (center), was on hand to greet visitors to the RSNA informational booth at the annual meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) in July. AAPM's 50th annual meeting was held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.
The RSNA booth will also be at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, September 21–25 in Boston and the Asian Oceanian Congress of Radiology, October 24–28 in Seoul, Republic of Korea. RSNA members attending those meetings are invited to stop by and bring a colleague to learn more about RSNA membership.
