Success Often Involves Doing Things a Little Differently

By David S. Partridge, CRA, FAHRA

We have all heard the many common business clichés such as, “think outside the box.” If you are anything like me, the first thing you think when you hear someone use that term is “who is that person kissing up to?” And again, if you are like me, you don’t let anyone know it, because they will look at you funny and often just slowly shake their head. New Year’s resolutions are also very common, many even cliché, and interestingly most people never see them through. According to Wanda Coker’s LINK article last month, a third of people’s New Year’s resolutions don’t make it through January. The RACC decided we would try not announcing our resolutions (goals) until February. Pretty creative, to be sure but I know it will lead to significant success as we are incredibly excited about the things we are working on this year.

The first goal is almost complete and has been a while in the making. At the request of many, we are redesigning the practice tests available to future CRAs. We have updated and re-referenced some of the best pieces from the old tests to the newest textbooks and we have scrutinized a list of other possible questions. There will soon be 2 new practice tests that will have around 150 “opportunities” for you to run through and better understand the types of questions you will see on the examination. Many thanks to Brenda DeBastiani who helped get this initiative rolling.

Our second priority is to look at our candidate profile. The criteria for a candidate to take the examination were set before the first examination 17 years ago. They have held steady since 2002 and we will be working with our testing partner formerly known as Castle to re-evaluate these requirements. Castle was recently sold and now has a new name, Scantron Corporation. Our team will be using all of the available statistics and analytics from Scantron to ensure that we are requiring the correct prerequisite points to be eligible for the examination.

Goal number three will be to continue to grow the recognition of the CRA credential by peer organizations and human resource departments. Our new public commissioner, Eric DeBastiani, has agreed to lead our marketing efforts. Eric, Sandy Phillips and Kim Evans will be working hard to find new and creative ways to grow the CRA brand recognition.

For those of you getting ready for the Spring Conference in San Antonio, the RACC will be hosting a CRA Luncheon. Some of our current and former commissioners will be there to answer any of your questions. Please stop by to say hi, find a study buddy and, if you are already a CRA, bring the next “up and coming” leader on your team with you.

I hope everyone’s resolutions are still going strong and that one of them is to find a creative way to help someone on your team become the next CRA. I am honored to serve as the 2019 RACC chair and please let me know if there is any way our team can help yours.

We would all like to wish Jillian Nanof best of luck in her new career.  She has done an amazing job as the CRA Coordinator and she will be missed!

Dave Partridge, CRA, FAHRA is an account executive for Prestige Medical Imaging and can be reached at dave.partridge@pmiteam.net.