Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Getting Involved With Your State Sleep Society

From time to time BRPT will invite a "guest blogger" to contribute a short article in this space. The opinions, representations and statements made within a "guest" article are those of the author and should not be construed as statements made on behalf of BRPT. Copyright remains with the author.

April 26, 2011

Getting Involved With Your State Sleep Society
By Randy Townsend, RPSGT

A couple of weeks ago I highlighted the Maryland Sleep Society in a note I put forth via Facebook.https://www.facebook.com/#!/topic.php?uid=45526737450&topic=17507 I asked the question, “What will the Maryland Sleep Society do?”

In response to my note, the BRPT has requested that I write a guest blog entry for you, elaborating on exactly what I feel RPSGTs/CPSGTs should do to get involved with their state sleep societies.

Step 1: Find out what type of organization is in your state.

A basic rule of thumb would be true non-profit organizations are not lobbying groups as they are restricted by their tax status in terms of what they are permitted to do on the political front. That said,they can be very effective in mobilizing their respective memberships for advocacy efforts. Other types of organizations, including for profit organizations, are able to get involved more directly in politics.These organizations have specific agendas. Question: What is their goal? What are they trying to accomplish and how do you benefit from it? A better question might be if they accomplish their goal,how will it affect you?

Regional sleep societies such as the New England Polysomnographic Society, Southern Sleep Society and Carolina Sleep Society, tend to provide continuing education without pursuing political or legislative agendas. State sleep societies, like the Georgia Association of Sleep Professionals, North Carolina Academy of Sleep Medicine and South Carolina Sleep Society, tend to be involved with the legislative aspect of sleep medicine.

Step 2: Who do they represent.

All sleep organizations are not alike, so which one should benefit from your participation? Remember,you are going to pay to attend; they are going to spend your money. The AASM supports physicians;while not a membership organization, the BRPT supports RPSGTs/CPSGTs; the AARC supports RRTs/CRTs; and the AAST supports…ummmm, ok, moving on.

When choosing the meeting to attend, it only makes sense to support the sleep society that supports you and your credential. Unfortunately, all of us do not have the luxury of large salaries, corporate reimbursements or other types of financial freedom. That means we have to attend the closest or cheapest meeting available. Out of necessity, you may be forced to financially support a group that doesn’t represent your best interests. What can you do about that?

Step 3: Take action.

Get involved, change the organization. Sound simple? Actually, it can be. Look at the organization’s website, read the bylaws, newsletters and other information available. Find out what they stand for. If you want change, it can be done in two ways:

One: Run for office. All membership organizations will have some type of board to represent the members. Board members decide the direction of the society. Being on the board allows you to have input into the actions taken. Suppose they take your money for membership, and they do not allow you to run for office, that’s probably a big legal no-no. That can be easily changed with a phone call to an attorney.

Two: Call for a membership vote at the meeting. Most organizational bylaws allow for a percentage of members present to take action, make proposals or call for a vote. This can be done at the meeting, on the spot. Typically, the bylaws will not specify what you can call for a vote on. If a board member does not perform as expected, you can call for a vote. In a broader sense, if you don’t like the way the board is set up, or perhaps you think a section of the bylaws should be changed, you can call for a vote on that too.

Why should you get involved? Sleep medicine is changing. The days of being registered and attending meetings just to get your CEU’s are ending. Medicare and Medicaid are broken. Those organizations will reduce or completely eliminate sleep study reimbursements. Physician reimbursements will be reduced.Testing profit margins are going to drop so businesses will cut costs. Home testing is on the verge of becoming the standard and reimbursements are low.

You, the licensed RPSGT, CPSGT, RRT, CRT, RRT-SDS, are the most expensive part of the testing process.If the physicians and business owners can implement or find a lower cost alternative, they will. You are expendable. The only way to secure your position in sleep medicine is to:

A: Prevent special interest groups from controlling your sleep society by electing individuals who support your position.

B: Support yourself and your credential by promoting your position in sleep medicine.

C: Pay attention to what’s happening in the field of sleep medicine. Read periodicals and keep track of events.

D: Ask questions. (This may be the most important thing you do. Quiet people tend to be ignored by the talking heads.)

Good luck.

Randy Townsend, RPSGT

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Staying Focused

As I’m scrambling to tie up loose ends at work before leaving for a conference or other professional meeting, I always find myself asking the same question: Do I really have time to attend this conference? The answer is almost always no, but when I return home I’m often grateful for having had the opportunity.

This year’s Focus on Respiratory Care and Sleep Medicine Conference in San Diego was well worth the pre-trip frenzy. I attended a full-day Sleep Educator course in the good company of engaged RPSGTs, nurses, nurse practitioners and DME providers. Topics included an overview of Sleep Disordered Breathing, how to interpret a sleep report, adult learning principles and PAP set-up and follow-up. Many of the attendees expressed interest in a credentialing exam for this subspecialty. The speakers were top-notch – from Dr. Barbara Phillips to Dr. Nareesh Dewan to Ed Grandi and Robin Woidtke, RN, RPSGT. At the end, all participants received a clinical and patient tool kit provided on a thumb drive. Kudos to Robin Woidtke for organizing such an excellent seminar!

The BRPT booth was busy with lots of techs asking good questions about RPSGT recertification, what’s happening legislatively in specific states, and of course, concern expressed about the ABSM exam.

With 1,700 attendees, Focus is a good opportunity to network with other techs, therapists and vendors. It’s a terrific bargain with a low registration fee and many continuing education credits available. The combination of education and entertainment made the pre-trip scramble a distant memory.

Janice East, RPSGT, R. EEG T.
BRPT President