3 February 2012

Through your monthly e-mode we aim to bring you up to date on all events, Branch announcements and insights relevant to sonographers. Make sure you visit the ASA website for more information on what’s coming up in February and make the most of your ASA membership.

February e-mode highlights

• ASA roundup

• Sonography roundup

• ASA events
   

The ASA encourages contributions from members who may have news items, updates, information or opportunities of interest to members. Contributions can be emailed to the ASA Member Services Officer. Please note, the decision to publish in e-mode is at the discretion of the ASA.
 

ASA roundup
 

ASA website – update
We apologise if you have been experiencing difficulties on our website recently. We are getting ready to launch our 2012/15 Strategic Plan and have changed the platform of our site in readiness. If you continue to experience difficulties, please contact us for assistance.

ASA2012 Canberra – call for papers closes 17 February
With prizes and grants of up to $5,000 available, presenting a paper or poster is the ultimate way to share ideas and gain recognition for your expertise among fellow professionals. Submit your presentation, research, case study or poster and:

• enhance your skills and take the next step in your career

• research new or different ideas that could make a real difference to workplaces across Australia

• promote discussion and receive input from your peers

• increase your potential by meeting contacts and colleagues in your profession

• share your ideas and participate in educating other members of the sonographic community

• enrich the experience of delegates by contributing to the collaborative learning environment that all delegates value.

Find out more

Awards of Excellence
There is no higher honour than being acknowledged by your peers and the peak body for sonographers. Simply receiving a nomination for an ASA Award of Excellence is a memorable career milestone. Having set extraordinary benchmarks for best practice in sonography, nominees for our prestigious 2012 ASA Awards of Excellence will be recognised as leaders of our profession.

Now is the time to consider who you will nominate for:

• Sonographer of the Year (ACT, NSW, NT, NZ, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic, WA)

• Mentor of the Year

• Trainer of the Year

• Graduate Sonographer of the Year

• Researcher of the Year

• Employer of the Year

Nominations close 17 February

New members – join before 1 March and save
As a valued member of the ASA, you join over 3,200 members who have access to a range of benefits including discounts on education and events, PD-asa, advocacy and representation, insurance, information and resources. Every new member confirms our status as the peak body for sonographers and further strengthens the ASA’s mandate to represent and advocate on behalf of the entire profession. Encourage your colleagues to join before 1 March 2012 to receive up to 50% off the current membership fee (for membership up to 30 June 2012).
Find out more

Set your student sonographers up for success
Did you know ASA student membership is free to eligible students. Reduced rates apply to ASA Student members attending ASA meetings, conferences and asawebinars. By supporting the next generation of sonographers, we are actively encouraging involvement in the profession through a rewarding association with the ASA.
Find out more
 

ASA introduces a Member Services enquiry line
The new member services direct enquiry line is now available, call 9566 8222 to contact our Member Services team.
 

Sonography roundup

Churchill Fellowship – applications close 29 February
Applications for the 2012 Churchill Fellowships are now open and are available to support Australians in all fields whose expertise and contribution to their field would be enhanced by an overseas investigative project. Around 100 fellowships are offered annually and provide funding for four to six weeks overseas travel between September 2012 and August 2013. Find out more and consider applying for a fellowship to undertake a project that would contribute to your profession’s body of knowledge.

Victorian 2012 Rural Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship program
The Rural Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship Program supports rural allied health practitioners in Victoria who have demonstrated their involvement in, and commitment to, rural allied health practice to improve their skills and expertise through postgraduate studies. For more information visit Victorian Healthcare Association.

Victorian CPD Rural Allied Health Practitioners subsidy program
The CPD Subsidy Fund is available to assist Victorian allied health practitioners currently working in a publicly funded health service in rural Victoria to participate in conferences and skills development opportunities relevant to the development and provision of rural health services. This program may be suitable for those wishing to attend ASA2012 Canberra. For more information visit Victorian Healthcare Association.

SARRAH Scholarships
The 2012 NAHSSS Allied Health Scholarships are now open.
Find out more

Rural Health Continuing Education Program applications close 1 March
Funded by the Department of Health and Ageing, the program supports qualified health professionals working in rural and remote Australia to undertake continuing professional development and inter-professional learning activities.
Find out more

 

ASA events
 

asawebinars – online education delivered in real-time
The ASA recognises the importance of accessible and affordable high quality continuing professional development to ensure you achieve excellence in sonography. Register now for:

Sonography of the breast – Wednesday 29 February 8.30pm-9.30pm AEDT
Presented by Jenny Parkes, this asawebinar will focus on the sonography of the breast and will include extended techniques and multimodality cases. Find out more.

Sonography of the athletic pubalgia – Wednesday 28 March 7.30pm-8.30pm AEDT
Presented by Le-Anne Grimshaw, the asawebinar will provide overview of the spectre of injuries which may be presented and will include useful references and techniques. Find out more.

Cardiac sonography – Thursday 19 April, 7.30-8.30 AEDT
Presented by Rebecca Perry, the asawebinar will cover the assessment of mitral regurgitation together with providing useful techniques and references. Find out more.
 

ASA Masterclass Series – Thursday 24 May 2012, register now
Designed to address the non-clinical challenges of managing in the modern environment, the ASA Masterclass Series has advanced to become an independent event held the day prior to ASA2012 Canberra. Register now for:

Leadership and training development – Designed specifically with the sonographic workplace in mind, the skills needed to undertake an effective leadership and training role are at the core of the course.
 

Research and the sonographer – Health professionals can meet, learn and share their experiences on research into practice issues and gain an insight into the increasingly relevant, widely mandated phenomenon that is Evidence Based Practice.
 

Dealing with difficult situations – Develop strategies for communicating difficult results to a patient , better understand how to identify behavioural triggers ahead of a situation arising and be able to assess your own work environment in the context of reducing the risks from difficult behaviours.

Limited places available so avoid disappointment and register early either with your ASA2012 Canberra registration or via the ASA calendar.

ASA2012 Canberra 25-27 May – early bird discount closes 16 March
As the premier education event for Australian sonographers, the ASA’s 19th Annual National Conference delivers a forum where innovative ideas can be shared and discussed, as well as providing the ideal environment for professional networking. ASA2012 Canberra seeks to capture the knowledge and explore some of the developments which are shaping today's sonographers.

Explore the ASA2012 Canberra education program and start planning your conference experience. With a broad range of distinguished speakers including a faculty of Australia’s most experienced sonographers leading our multi-disciplinary program, ASA2012 Canberra promises exciting, interactive and informative presentations focusing on the areas that are of most importance to sonographers.

Accommodation: With Parliament sitting the week of ASA2012 Canberra, accommodation may be hard to find. The ASA has secured limited accommodation at discounted rates at Crowne Plaza Canberra. To book this accommodation please contact Crowne Plaza direct on 02 6247 8999 and quote reference "ASA".
 

Dates for your diary:

• Friday 17 February 2012 – Call for papers closes

• Friday 16 March 2012 – Early bird registration closes

• Thursday 24 May 2012 – ASA Masterclass Series

• 25 – 27 May 2012 – ASA2012 Canberra

Cardiac Day – ASA2012 Canberra Saturday 26 May
This one day program will optimise the learning outcomes for all delegates and showcase a variety of sessions aimed at specialist cardiac sonographers. Find out more.

Broaden your horizons and register now for ASA2012 Canberra.

SIG2012 Gold Coast – 11-12 August 2012

SIG2012 Gold Coast will be the 8th Annual Special Interest Group Seminar of the ASA. This two day seminar is designed to bring together specialist sonographers, medical, surgical and allied health professionals and will provided delegates with the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in the fields of Vascular and Obstetrics sonography: SIG2012 Gold Coast will offer targeted and comprehensive plenary sessions, interactive workshop sessions and panel discussions with today’s leading sonographers. The SIG2012 Gold Coast program will be launched in April.

Dates for your diary:

• 2 April 2012 – Program launch and registration

• 29 June 2012 – Early bird registration closes

• 10 August 2012 – ASA Masterclass Series

• 11-12 August 2012 SIG Gold Coast
   

ASA Travelling Workshops
The popular Travelling Workshop series is returning for 2012, with new locations and presenters. Register early to avoid disappointment:
 

Please note: Dates and topics are subject to change.

Interested in becoming an ASA Travelling Educator?
Contribute to the professional development of sonographers and increase your profile within the imaging community. Those who have joined the ranks of ASA Travelling Educators gain a strong sense of giving back to their profession. Applications closing soon for the 2012/13 series!

Each year the ASA calls for expressions of interest from its members to join the existing team of Travelling Educators for the forthcoming Travelling Workshop series. To fill the 2012/2013 series, the ASA is seeking applications from those interested in presenting in the Vascular and MSK areas. It is anticipated that two sonographers will be appointed to cover each of the topics chosen.

As a Travelling Educator, you join a faculty of Australia’s leading sonographers who have taken their skill and knowledge out to the clinics and hospitals in rural and remote regions around Australia and New Zealand since 2003. These interactive, hands-on workshops have provided invaluable experience to thousands of sonographers since they began. To receive the Expression of Interest information and application form contact the ASA Events.
 

Branch and Sub-branch meetings
Visit the ASA website for the full 2012 calendar of Branch and Sub-branch meetings.

 

Branch or Sub-branch	Topic	Date	Proudly supported by:	PD-asa point/ ASAR credits
Goulburn Valley Sub-branch education meeting	Paediatric sonography and The future of sonography	4 February		3.0
Queensland Branch education meeting	Musculoskeletal sonography half day workshop – elbow, wrist, foot and ankle	11 February	GE Healthcare	3.0
Victoria Branch education meeting	Hip and hamstring sonography	21 February	GE Healthcare	1.5
New South Wales Branch education meeting	Liver imaging	21 February	GE Healthcare	1.0
South Australia Branch education meeting	The secrets of paediatric sonography – unlocking the Da Vinci code	6 March	Philips Healthcare	1.0
Moreton Bay Sub-branch education meeting	Breast imaging presented by Dr Eugene Lim	6 March		1.0

Please note: Dates and topics are subject to change.
 

Time is running out to nominate PD-asa – simplify your CPD in 2012

You will have recently received your ASAR renewal notice, so now is the time to nominate PD-asa – the CPD program for sonographers. With three pathways of participation, PD-asa caters for all sonographers no matter where you are at in your career.

Joining PD-asa is as easy as 1-2-3....
Step 1. Nominate PD-asa as your default program when you complete your annual ASAR renewal.
Step 2. Visit www.a-s-a.com.au and log in using your member user name and password.
Step 3. Complete the registration by choosing your PD-asa pathway.

• PD-asa Essentials (40 points per triennium)

• PD-asa Endeavour (15 points per yearly cycle)

• PD-asa Extension (40 points per yearly cycle)

To find out more about PD-asa, visit www.a-s-a.com.au or contact the PD-asa Administrator.

 

The next e-mode
The next edition of e-mode will be circulated on 2 March.

Spread the word
Do you like what the ASA is doing? Spread the word! We encourage you to print this email or forward it to your colleagues to spread the word about what's happening within the ASA.

 

Australian Sonographers Association

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P: 03 9585 2996   F: 03 9585 2331

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