Posted by 
By Bette Drescher, CRA
The 2016 Annual Meeting in Nashville is quickly approaching, and we are on track to break 1000 attendees, which we haven’t seen since 2009 in Las Vegas. Very exciting news! This will be my first time visiting Nashville, and I am anticipating a great week of learning among friends and colleagues – not to mention great music venues.
RACC commissioners will be available for questions regarding CRA certification in the exhibit hall (booth 515) and look forward to speaking with you. We are always energized by the interest of potential CRAs and enjoy receiving feedback from current CRAs. Success stories are our favorites, from those of you sharing how obtaining the CRA has impacted you personally and also impacted your career. Many of you stopped by the booth last year to tell us that you planned to take the CRA exam in the fall or spring – we’d love to congratulate you!
I also want to remind current CRAs to RSVP (if you haven’t already) for the CRA reception which will be held on Monday evening, August 1, from 6:15 – 7:15 PM. It’s a great way to meet colleagues and enjoy each other’s company – along with some great food – before gathering for a CRA group photo. It’s always fun to see how the group has grown over the years.
On a more somber note, I would be remiss to not mention the tragic events the world has experienced over the past few weeks which resulted in significant loss of life in Turkey, France, and here at home. Reading about the horrific events, I noticed that the media seems to skip over the efforts required by first responders, especially in Nice. I have colleagues whose worksites were impacted during 9/11 and the Boston marathon bombing, and the strength and determination of staff during times such as these is nothing but remarkable. I read that a disco in Nice became an urgent care center, as triaging the 256 injured would have undoubtedly overwhelmed the city’s resources.
The France tragedy hit close to home for me, as I was in Nice just a week before the Bastille Day event after enjoying a wonderful holiday in Provence with friends. We walked the Promenade des Anglais daily, along with scores of tourists from around the world. It is a beautiful place that will bear the scars of this attack for a long time to come. I know you will join me in extending our deepest sympathy to everyone impacted by this and other recent heartbreaking events and to acknowledge the work of the dedicated healthcare teams who were involved in caring for the people impacted.
Better Drescher, CRA is the director of radiology services at Group Health-Bellevue Medical Center in Bellevue, WA. She can be reached at drescher.bette@ghc.org.
LINK 