Online Applications for Temporary Registration

Applications for temporary registration are now available online through My Profile. Details on how to apply can be found on the Temporary Registration page. The College will be hosting a virtual presentation about temporary practice permits at noon on Tuesday, May 11, for students about to graduate from their educational programs. The presentation will give an overview of temporary registration and how to apply for it using the new online process. The registration link for the meeting will be emailed out to all student members of the College, and anyone else who would like to attend can request the link by emailing communications@acmdtt.com.

New Provincial Bladder Ultrasound Program

In February, Council approved the program for Bladder Ultrasound in CCA Radiation Therapy. Bladder scanning may be performed by radiation therapists with an enhanced license in CT simulator areas or on external beam treatment units in the CCA radiation therapy departments. Bladder scanning is done in a clinical environment where patient comfort and safety is maximized and confidentiality is maintained at all times. This program replaces the previous Handheld Ultrasound Bladder Scanner Training that existed in only some radiation therapy departments, making training and application easier to access for any radiation therapist needing to use this equipment. In radiation therapy, bladder scanning can be used to reduce overall imaging exposure by assessing whether a patient is ready for imaging at CT simulation or localization at treatment appointments.

Council Changes

The Health Professions Act amendments introduced by Bill 30, the Health Statutes Amendments Act, 2020(1), come into force on April 1, requiring all regulatory colleges to increase public member representation to at least 50% on their councils, hearing tribunals and complaint review committees. The College recently updated our bylaws to reflect this change, changing the composition of Council from eight regulated members and three public members to six regulated members and six public members as of April 1. As of this date, Jessica Cherwick, ENP, and Ayman Darwish, MRT(R)(MR), will step down from their roles on Council, and John Pantazopoulos will join Council as a new public member. John Liu also joined Council as a public member in March after long-term public member John Jossa completed his term, and the remaining two public members will be appointed by the government of Alberta as soon as possible. The College would like to thank the outgoing members for their contributions and welcome the new members to the organization.

Status of Vaccine Availability for MRTs and ENPs

The College has received a number of queries from members about the status of their COVID-19 vaccination eligibility. We understand that some of our members regularly come into contact with patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are concerned; however, decisions related to pandemic response are not within the scope of the College. Decisions about the vaccine rollout are made by the provincial government and AHS. Advocating for members is also outside the scope of a regulatory college.

Alberta is now in Phase 2B of its COVID-19 vaccine program. MRTs and ENPs who may be involved in a clinical practice (i.e., have face-to-face interactions with patients, clients, residents of healthcare facilities, etc.) will soon be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the Phase 2C vaccine rollout, which is scheduled to take place after Phase 2B is complete between April and June.

Edmonton Branch Update

On March 2, the Edmonton Branch hosted an education event along with a branch update. This well-received event was held via Zoom with 185 members attending. Speakers included Dr. Stanley Greenspan, who presented “Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block: Fluoroscopic guided procedure used to treat migraines and facial pain” and Colleen McHugh, who presented “LADiBUG: a new communication tool that addresses many of the communication gaps identified by patient feedback from Diagnostic Imaging (DI)”. Thank you to Branch Chair Anastasia Gasheva and the rest of the branch executive board for planning this successful event.

The College recognizes that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the new variants in Alberta continue to present uncertainties and challenges for MRTs and ENPs. We are aware it has caused unexpected changes to employment opportunities and areas of practice, which is worrying.

Regulated members continue to provide essential services to the public with professionalism, expertise and empathy during the global pandemic that still continues one year later. Regulated members have had to learn and develop skills or competencies that cannot be taught through formal continuing education — they have been learned through experience and practical application.

The pandemic has forced learning to occur differently and has resulted in greater understanding and skill development for all members. We are all hopeful that as the vaccination rollout continues, these changes will be shown to be temporary as life returns to normal, even a “new normal.”

The College Council, Competence Committee and Registrar have considered this constantly evolving situation very carefully. For the 2020-21 Continuing Competence Program (CCP) cycle, they have agreed to the following.

Members are required to complete one hour of learning for every month they hold general registration during the current CCP cycle (September 1, 2020, to August 31, 2021), up to a maximum of 12 required hours.

Regulated members will automatically be granted one more hour for each month in recognition of the time they are spending managing, adapting and updating their skills during the COVID-19 pandemic. These additional hours do not need to be logged in My CCP and will bring the total learning hours to 24 for those registered for the full cycle.

Given the College mandate to serve the best interest of the public, this adjustment recognizes the unique hardship presented by the pandemic while acknowledging that it is still important for members to maintain competence in their area of practice. Please remember that College courses, including the Regulation Education Module, and the AFRHP Protecting Patients from Sexual Abuse and Misconduct course are free and may be counted for up to four hours each towards a CCP cycle.

Please feel welcome to contact our Professional Practice Advisor, Linda O’Hara, at lohara@acmdtt.com if you have any questions about the CCP.

N. Stogiannos, D. Fotopoulos, N. Woznitza, C. Malamateniou

View the article on the Radiography website

S. Benfield, J.D. Hewis, C.M. Hayre

View the article on the Radiography website

Christian El-Hadad MDCM, Jean Deschênes MD, Bryan Arthurs MD

View the article on the Canadian Medical Association Journal website

The College is seeking regulated members to volunteer on the Competence Committee, particularly in radiological and nuclear medicine technology. The term of office is three years, beginning September 1, 2021.

This committee is responsible for:

• Monitoring that individual registered members comply with the requirements of the Continuing Competence Program
• Monitoring the components of the Continuing Competence Program in order to accurately reflect current needs to enhance the provision of professional services

Qualifications:

• You must be a regulated member of the College in good standing

Travel to Edmonton for meetings held on work days up to two times a year may be required.

If you are interested in this opportunity or have any questions, please contact our Professional Practice Advisor, Linda O’Hara, at lohara@acmdtt.com.

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