RT in D.C. 2013

Although this is three months following my experiences in Washington I want to share it with everyone!!

This year I attended the RT in D.C. with Kevin Lawrence, Sharon Wartanbee, and JJ Powell.  Their experience in this field made this trip one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.  The event involved educational sessions on the current status of Medicare reform, the CARE and MARCA Bill, and how to lobby with state legislators.  All of these combined helped me to become familiar with our professions current issues and to effectively communicate with our state Senators and Representative.  State licensure is not present in South Dakota, which in my opinion is a major deficit in our field.  State licensure would provide job security as well as set the standard for who is qualified to perform diagnostic imaging.  By setting standards for who is qualified to perform diagnostic imaging it would reduce the number of repeat exams, reduce patient dose, and lower healthcare costs.  

Our meetings began at Senator Tim Johnson's office where we were greeted with support of both of the issues we were lobbying.  Following this we met with both Senator John Thune and Representative Kristi Noem's offices.  We were welcomed by both offices and our statements were well received.  Senator Thune agreed to review our proposal to amend a current bill and attach the language from the CARE Bill to it.  Representative Noem believes that our new approach is applicable but did not support the issue due to her belief that it should be handled at the state legislative level rather than a federal approach.

This experience opened my eyes to how healthcare issues are handled in the government and is something I will never forget.  My passion for advocacy in this field was solidified after I attended this event.  Advocacy is an absolutely integral portion of every profession, especially Radiologic Technology, and I plan to continue supporting advancement in my future profession!