President's Message

Fred Castillo, RT(R)

To My Fellow Members and Professionals:

I have been spending a lot of time recently considering what I should try to convey to the imaging professionals of California. When I mention imaging professionals, I want to be sure that the context is understood by everyone. I am not excluding any specific categories or classifications. We are all imaging professionals no matter which area or to what degree we have pursued our goal of giving the best diagnostic or therapeutic care to our patients.

We have on our agenda an "alphabet and numerical soup" of items on the CSRT legislative front, both in Sacramento and in Washington, DC: AB 356 & AB 445 on the state level and the CARE BILL on the national level. These are bills that have been reviewed by the CSRT Legislative Committee and which have been given our support or have been refuted as not being in the best interests of our profession. These reviews are or have been posted on the CSRT Website for ALL to see. The eyes of the other state Radiologic Societies are upon California because the way we go, so goes most of the nation.

But legislation is not the only area toward which CSRT directs its energy. Our Educational and Scholarship Committee is prepared to award scholarships to outstanding students. It is a sad fact that not enough students apply for them. The information on how to apply is posted on the CSRT Website. I understand that it takes time and effort away from a student's primary goal of studying for classes in their respective programs, but I would ask that Program Directors give these applicants credit for their investment in time, effort and research on projects which enhance their knowledge of Radiologic Technology.

We have established a new CSRT Student Committee. David Poon, student in the CCSF Radiologic Technology Program in San Francisco, has been appointed as the Chairman of the committee. Please read his article in this issue of the Technigram.

The CSRT sponsored two technologists to attend RT to DC. They were Lorenza Clausen, our current CSRT Legislative Chairperson, and Diane Garcia, Clinical Coordinator/Instructor of the CCSF Radiologic Technology Program in San Francisco. In addition, two student technologists were sponsored by the CSRT Education and Scholarship Committee to attend RT to DC. They were Lauren Murdock and Christina Lee from the Northridge Radiologic Technology Program. These representatives went to Washington, DC, to campaign for passage of the CARE BILL. Reports can be found elsewhere in this newsletter.

Philip Ballinger, noted Radiologic Technologist educator, author and speaker, has agreed to be the keynote speaker for the CSRT Annual Conference in San Jose on November 14, 2009. I had the pleasure to speak with him on the telephone and discuss his list of potential presentations. He was very enthusiastic about coming to California, and I found him to be very personable on the telephone. Please make arrangements in your schedule to be in San Jose and meet Mr. Ballinger.

Now for what has really been on my mind. At the recent Northridge Seminar, I was approached by a young lady who had a grievance which she wanted to convey to me. She noted that she was one CEU short of having the necessary complement necessary to renew her certificate. She said that she tried to get the two free CE credits, offered by Sinclair College, that come with membership in CSRT. She was unable to access the credits because she has no credit card and she was unhappy that was the case. Therefore, she was not going to renew her membership. I was not given the opportunity to address or discuss the possible solutions with her.

I understand that members have or will have opinions and differences with the CSRT and, because of that, I have asked in the past, as I am asking now, that everyone please let us know what is on your mind and please allow me and the CSRT Board to address your concerns and find solutions. Your problems are our problems. We are here to address them for you.

Thanks to everyone and I hope to see many of you at the San Diego Seminar on Saturday, June 27, 2009.