Conference Call Minutes s3
SNM House of Delegates
August 9, 2011
Conference Call – Minutes
DRAFT
Members in Attendance:
Michael Middleton, MD; Naomi P. Alazraki, MD, ABNM, ABR; Ann Marie Alessi, BS, CNMT, NCT, RT(N); Robert Beanlands, MD; Crystal Botkin, MPH, CNMT, PET; Tina Buehner, MS, CNMT, RT(N); Dominique Delbeke, MD, PhD; Fred Fahey, DSc; Leonie L. Gordon, MD; Michael M. Graham, PhD, MD; Ben Greenspan, MD, FACNM; Deborah H. Havens, CNMT, RT(R)(N), BA; Robert Henkin, MD; Hossein Jadvar, MD, PhD, MPH, MBA, FACNM; Jennifer S. Jurgens, MD, LTC, MC; Kimberly Kelly, PhD; Alan Klitzke, MD; Anthony Knight, MBA, CNMT, RT(N), NCT;Cindi Luckett-Gilbert, MHA, CNMT, PET, FSNMTS; Richard Noto, MD; Michele Panichi-Egberts, CNMT; Todd Peterson, PhD; Lalitha Ramanna, MD, FACNM; Lynne Roy, MBA, CNMT, FSNMTS; Ronald Schwartz, MD, MS, FACC, FAHA; George Segall, MD; Marc Seltzer, MD; David Shelton, MD; Stephanie Spottswood, MD, MSPH; Gregory Wiseman, MD; Harvey Ziessman, MD
Members Not in Attendance:
Robert W. Atcher, PhD, MBA; Scott Bartley, MD; Timothy R. Degrado, PhD; Gary L. Dillehay, MD, FACNM, FACR; Georges N. El Fakhri, PhD; Benjamin L. Franc, MD; Rick Hay, MD, PhD; Marcia Hess-Smith, BS, CNMT; Richard Kalla, MD; Paul Kinahan, PhD; Brenda King, CNMT, FSNMTS; Lale Kostakoglu, MD, MPH; David H. Lewis, MD; Karen Kurdziel, MD; Nancy McDonald, CNMT;Nancy McDonald Deloatch; Alexander J. B. McEwan, MD; John Oldershaw, MD; Medhat Osman, MD, PhD, MS; Matthew R. Palmer, PhD; Neeta D. Pandit-Taskar, MD; Eric Rohren, MD, PhD; Martin Sandler, MD; Sally Schwarz, MS, RPh, BCNP; Aaron Scott; John Seibyl, MD; Susan Sharp, MD; Anthony Sicignano, BS, CNMT, RT(N); Daniel Silverman, MD, PhD; James Timpe, MS, RT(N)(MR); Jean-Luc Urbain, MD, PhD; Laura Wall, MBA, CNMT, NCT, RT(N); Alan Waxman, MD; Melody Yarbrough, CNMT, RT(N)
Staff in Attendance:
Virginia Pappas, CAE; Nikki Wenzel-Lamb, MBA
I. Welcome and Call to Order
Mike Middleton, MD, Speaker of the HOD called the conference call to order at 2:04pm and welcomed all SNM House of Delegates meeting attendees. Richard Noto, MD, SNM Secretary/Treasurer, noted that a quorum was not present.
II. Administrative Items
Dr. Noto reviewed the minutes from the March 8, 2011 HOD conference call.
A motion was made to approve the minutes from the March 8, 2011 HOD conference call.
Dr. Noto requested that the minutes be sent out via e-mail for approval as a quorum was not present on the conference call to formally approve the minutes.
III. 2020 Task Force
George Segall, MD, SNM President and 2020 Task Force Chair, reported that the 2020 Task Force consists of the Co-Chairs of each of 10 working groups. Each working group is responsible for: analyzing the challenges and opportunities for the specialty of Nuclear Medicine and analyze the strengths and weakness of SNM as the professional leader for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (objectives 2 and 3 in the 2020 Task Force proposal). The 2020 Task Force Working Groups are moving along in their review and assessment process. Dr. Mike Middleton and Leonie Gordon, MD are currently serving as the House of Delegates Working Group co-chairs. Significant findings to-date, include:
a. 9 out of the 10 working groups identified the following two items as the biggest challenges for the future of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging
i. Declining Reimbursement
ii. Nuclear Medicine Training
b. 9 out of 10 working groups identified the following item as the biggest opportunity for the future of NM and MI
i. Marketability of Nuclear Medicine and MI – if understood (the value NM brings to healthcare)
Working Group co-chairs will submit final reports and present findings to the entire task force during the retreat September 16. The SNM Board of Directors will review the findings and proposal from the 2020 Task Force during the Fall Board meeting and make a recommendation for the future of the field.
IV. Name change Task Force
Fred Fahey, DSc, SNM President-Elect and Name Change Task Force member, provided an update on the proposed name change. The Task Force has agreed to move forward with point / counter-point articles that will address the positives and negatives of the proposed change. There will be a point and counter-point article written by a physician/scientist and one by a technologist. In addition, Carolyn Anderson, PhD, Name Change Task Force Chair, will write one final article that will include a summary of the discussion to-date, and list all of the potential expenses associate with the change. Dr. Anderson’s article will run in the November issue of Newsline with the point / counter-point in the December issue. The final vote will take place during the 2012 Mid-Winter Meeting House of Delegates meeting.
V. NM Training Task Force
Dominique Delbeke, MD, PhD informed the committee that a new Nuclear Medicine Training Joint Task Force was being formed to continue the work of the SNM/ACR Joint Task Force on Training. The Task Force will consist of members from the following organizations; SNM, ACR, APDR, NMPDA, Radiology RRC, Nuclear Medicine RRC, ABR and ABNM. The Task Force will hold it’s a retreat over the summer to determine the appropriate pathway for a combined training program. Dr. Dominique Delbeke and Dr. Elizabeth Oates (of ACR) will be co-chairing the task force. The charge of the task force is to offer a practical solution for joint training between radiology and nuclear medicine as well as review other training issues identified by Task Force I.
Overall, members of the HOD agreed that the SNM should work through the Task Force to come to a formal agreement and understanding with radiology. Dr. Delbeke and the SNM Leadership will report back to the HOD as progress is made.
VI. CardioGen-82 Update
On July 26, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted health care professionals to stop using CardioGen-82 for cardiac PET. CardioGen-82 consists of a generator that is used at clinical sites to produce rubidium (Rb)-82 chloride injections. After recently receiving reports of two patients who had received more radiation than expected due to strontium isotopes which may have been inadvertently injected due to a “strontium breakthrough” problem with CardioGen-82, Bracco Diagnostics, Inc. has asked clinicians to immediately stop using CardioGen-82. A voluntary recall was also initiated by Bracco Diagnostics, Inc. SNM has worked diligently with Bracco to ensure accurate and timely information is being distributed to our members and other individuals in the field. The SNM quickly launched a CardioGen-82 Recall FAQ site and has provided updates as they become available. Additionally, the SNM also participates on weekly calls with Bracco staff and ASNC to discuss findings and information that can then be distributed to our membership. Dr. Segall agreed to keep the HOD and the Cardiovascular Council updated on this issue moving forward.
VII. SNM/ERF Update
Dr. Segall explained that there are currently two projects that SNM and ERF are actively working on; a government relations internship program that was instituted by Bob Henkin, and the chapter roadshows. The government relations internship program concept is being finalized.
Ann Marie Alessi, BS, CNMT, NCT, RT(N), SNMTS President, announced that although only $5,000 has been raised for the chapter roadshows, the SNMTS is moving forward with planning and hopes to have the first roadshow in the fall of 2011.
Dr. Segall also informed the members of the HOD that the ERF sent two letters with regard to management of the ERF and the funding level for awards for FY2012. The SNM leadership is currently working on a response to these letters which will include some additional questions and clarifications.
V. Adjournment
The next HOD conference call will be scheduled in October or November.
The House of Delegates conference call adjourned at 2:56pm (ET).