Why I Donate to the AHRA EF

By Marjory “Jory” Savino, CRA, BS, RT(R)(M)

Why do I donate to the AHRA Education Foundation (EF), when there are so many other organizations requesting money from me too? What makes this organization so different?

Reflecting on this question brings me back to when I was first introduced to AHRA in 2003. I volunteered at my hospital to step up as acting director, after being a chief technologist in diagnostic and mammography for a short time. The VP of Operations knew about AHRA and invested in sending me to the Annual Meeting in California to learn from the many other imaging managers across the country.

I am naturally shy, so the first thing I did when I arrived in Anaheim was sign up to volunteer. I met wonderful directors, managers, and vice presidents, all within the imaging world. I made a lot of friends through networking, which was made possible by AHRA. I returned with many new business contacts, all insisting to give them a call whenever necessary. I was also exposed to new and upcoming equipment and software from the many vendors that exhibited at the event. I came back confident and ready to meet my waiting demands.

AHRA provides the opportunity to not only stay up-to-date with the newest technology, CPT code updates, and regulations, but also on everything exciting and innovative in the imaging field through various learning avenues. For instance, you can attend the Spring Conference or Annual Meeting in person, or if traveling is hard, the Virtual Fall Conference is a great option. AHRA also provides scholarships to attend these conferences. I received a scholarship in 2011, which allowed me to attend the Annual Meeting in San Antonio with my hospital’s director, David Sack, FAHRA and AHRA 2016-2017 President, Jason Newmark. At the meeting, I was able to volunteer and attend many sessions which provided me with knowledge and new ideas to address the challenges at our hospital.

There are also many AHRA-supported local area meetings that are held across the country. I remember when our hospital hosted a mammography regional meeting at the outpatient facility, and AHRA CEO, Ed Cronin, came to speak. We had this moment of support, collaboration, and networking because of AHRA. These meetings allow both members and non-members to attend for free, so anyone interested can network, learn, and share their stories.

These are some of the reasons why I donate to the AHRA EF: to give back, support, and allow someone else that may just be starting out in the imaging profession the opportunity to connect with others that have expertise.

Donating to the EF allows each of us to continue reaching out, learning, sharing and making new friends and contacts. Through donating to the EF, we can continue to have the publications, textbooks, online resources, conferences, local area meetings, scholarships, grants, webinars, awesome and dynamic keynote speakers, vendor partnerships, and the list goes on. Whatever you can do today to donate to your association will enrich someone else’s life. I chose to give at the Cornerstone Circle level every month for 6 months, which was easy to set up. A donation starting at just $40 allows you to receive the yearly EF pin that you can wear with pride at the Annual Meeting, but any amount will make a difference.

Thank you for allowing me to share my story. AHRA has been in my imaging professional journey since 2003 in Anaheim and will continue to be there through my career.

Marjory “Jory” Savino, CRA, BS, RT(R)(M) is the quality performance improvement/performance control manager in radiology at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY. She can be reached at jorysavino@gmail.com.