We’ve Always Done It That Way

By David S. Partridge, CRA, FAHRA

I hope this is not a phrase you hear all the time with your team. Sometimes the old way is the best way, but I think we would all agree that we should make sure that this excuse is not how people avoid change. Taking a look at how we have done things in the past and making sure that is still the best way is a huge theme for the RACC this year. It is reflected in all 3 of our goals this year.

Our first goal is to review the examination and ensure that the questions are still appropriate. We undertake this challenge every few years. All of the RACC commissioners will spend some extra time this year taking the examination again and then as a group evaluating the questions to ensure they are still in line with the challenges that administrators face every day.

Our second goal has carried over from the work we began last year. It is to look at our candidate profile. The standards for a candidate to take the examination were set before the first examination 18 years ago. They have held steady since 2002. We have been gathering data on the background of all the candidates that have taken the test over the past few years to understand if we are requiring the correct prerequisite points to be ready for the examination. We are starting to see some great trends that will help us determine what background allows the fairest chance to become a CRA.

Out third goal is to look at our marketing differently. We intend to survey HR departments and organizations across the country to get their opinion on the credential to help us better market the CRA.  We believe that if we understand what HR departments and other professional organizations know about the CRA we can better help shape their perceptions towards the incredible certification we know it to be.

I am very excited to announce the newest member of the RACC beginning her 3-year term, Tricia Trammell, CRA. Thank you for your willingness to lead.

Congratulations to our newest Kathryn Keeler Memorial Scholarship winners: Jacquelynn Creque and Vanessa Vargas. Best of luck in May. The application deadline for the November 2020 examination is July 27, 2020. Get yours in, so you can join Jacquelynn and Vanessa as future CRAs.

I am honored to serve as the RACC chair this year and look forward to seeing many new CRAs join the current 1,222 radiology leaders who have earned the credential.

David Partridge, CRA, FAHRA is an account executive with Prestige Medical Imaging in Columbus, Ohio. He serves as the 2020 RACC Chair. He can be reached at dave.partridge@pmiteam.net