Sharing the Value of Membership

By Tom Wall, RDMS, RVT

I am on the AHRA Membership Committee. As the Association for Medical Imaging Management, we are the premiere professional organization representing management at all levels of hospital imaging departments, freestanding imaging centers, and group practices. Our mission is to serve as a resource and catalyst for the development of professional leadership in medical imaging management. Whether you’re a seasoned medical imaging leader, an established director or a new manager, AHRA can help you create your path to success through a complete slate of professional development programs including a comprehensive selection of educational conferences and seminars, networking opportunities, award winning publications, and the Certified Radiology Administrator® (CRA) credential.

Hopefully you are aware of, and utilize the multitude of member benefits available regularly. I know for myself that AHRA Connect and the Forum are invaluable tools and the Forum was ranked 3^rd most valuable member benefit in our 2017 member survey.

Hey, did you know there is a sample documents library? I actually spoke to someone the other day who was looking for some information. I pointed out that we have a robust treasure trove of documents, policies, and tools in the sample documents library. That’s right; you have access to many best practice documents, without having to reinvent the wheel!

So, what are the most significant challenges our members face each day? According to the 2017 AHRA Member Survey, our members cited:

• Regulatory Preparedness
• Budgets and Financial Management
• Reimbursement
• Staffing

The AHRA, based on the above, creates content and educational offerings to specifically address these challenges. Radiology Management, Link, Webinars, Conferences and a plethora of other resources are available to keep you up to date and empower you to lead and develop your staff, fulfill your vision and keep the fiery passion burning for what we do each day.

The survey revealed the top reasons for belonging to AHRA include: education, professional development, continuing education credit, information and industry knowledge. 88% of members say that the benefits of AHRA membership are equal to or exceed the cost of membership.

So now I have a couple of questions. How many of your team are also members and if not, why not? Why wouldn’t you give the opportunities to grow to those you lead?

Did you know there is a discounted group membership model? Based on the size of your facility you get 5 memberships for the price of 2ish. Maybe you work for a multiple facility organization. Well you can still do group membership. We also now have Military membership as well as a Student membership offering. Explore all the options on our website under the member benefit section.

Membership can benefit those at any level from VP to team lead. Understanding what we do and why is key to success; and giving our teams the needed resources helps to create a shared vision.

We also have a Director of Membership and Education Services, who doesn’t just send you a bill, but has been a valuable asset to me during the course of my membership. Feel free to call or email Jessica Harju or myself with any questions. It would be my pleasure to be an onboarding buddy to any new member.

Tom Wall, RDMS, RVT is the sono imaging manager at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, NJ. He can be reached at t-wall@mail.holyname.org.