During the 2023 Mid-Winter Meeting, the SNMMI-TS National Council of Representatives and Executive Board reviewed and approved the new SNMMI-TS Strategic Plan. Given the drastic changes in the field and within the Technologist Section over the past 3 years, the new strategic plan was an emergent need, and through efforts begun last year, it truly embraces the future.
The SNMMI-TS Executive Board agreed that it is important to have one cohesive mission/vision for the SNMMI and the Technologist Section:Vision: SNMMI is the leading global organization transforming the science and practice of diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine.
Mission: Empowering our members to transform the science and practice of precision nuclear medicine for diagnosis and therapy to advance patient care.
The “SNMMI-TS Future, Imagined” statement in the plan adds further context: The SNMMI-TS will be able to drive change within hospitals, institutions, and academia to better educate and advocate for the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. Therapy will be practiced in all hospitals around the country, and as key members of the care team, nuclear medicine technologists (NMTs) will use their enhanced expertise in precision medicine to collaboratively improve patient outcomes.
Workforce Pipeline
In 2022, the SNMMI-TS created a Workforce Pipeline Task Force to investigate and better understand the current challenges involved in entering the field and how students are exposed to nuclear medicine as a career pathway during high school and undergraduate education. Through outreach, education, and the exchange of knowledge, the SNMMI-TS hoped to create communication bridges for NMT programs to work collaboratively with institutions around the country who need to hire qualified NMTs.
In January 2023, under the vision of Immediate Past President Dusty York, the SNMMI-TS launched a new video titled “Careers in Nuclear Medicine Technology” that showcases the many different opportunities available to NMTs. The video, which can be found on the new career website at nmcareers.snmmi.org, serves as the first resource for recruitment into the field. The social media response to the video launch has been incredible, including 172 views on YouTube and many views of the teaser video: 3,071 on Instagram (which makes this SNMMI’s most watched Instagram reel), 1,805 on LinkedIn, 269 on Facebook, and 380 on Twitter.
The Workforce Pipeline group is now organizing a recruitment event for the 2023 Annual Meeting in Chicago. The half-day session would bring in high school students and their parents to learn about nuclear medicine, take special tours of the exhibit hall showcasing imaging equipment and cutting-edge therapies, and meet program directors. The event will close with a guest speaker focusing on college admissions counseling and student success coaching. The task force is connecting with individuals in the Chicago area to help with recruiting students and marketing the event.
Welcome and Congratulations to the SNMMI-TS Leadership Academy Class of 2023!
For the first time since 2020, SNMMI-TS is pleased to announce the graduates for the SNMMI-TS Leadership Academy. The Academy, which took place during the SNMMI Mid-Winter Meeting, accepts only a limited number of applicants each year and is considered to be the cornerstone of SNMMI’s governance training for committee chairs, council and center leadership, and the SNMMI/SNMMI-TS boards of directors. Participants included Ejda Bajric (Missouri Valley), Emily Brooks (Central), Sarah Clements (New England); Michael Dillard (Pacific Northwest), Jose “Freddy” Gonzalez (Southwestern), Jason Joson (Pacific Southwest), David Kelkis (Mid-Eastern), Jessica Long (Southeastern), Martha Mar (Southwestern), Elad Nevo (Greater New York), Erika Padilla-Morales (Northern California), Alexia Romano (New England), Melissa Snody (Central), Angela Weiler (Central), and Caitlin Woltering (Missouri Valley).
With the 2023 graduating class, the SNMMI-TS Leadership Academy has trained more than 200 graduates since its inception in 2007. We look forward to seeing what leadership positions these future graduates will strive to hold!
Through the efforts of the Professional Development Task Force, the first Student Leadership Academy will be held during the 2023 SNMMI Annual Meeting. The one-day event, scheduled for Saturday, June 24, will mimic the SNMMI-TS Leadership Academy but will focus on NMT students entering the workforce for the first time. Students will have the opportunity to participate in emotional intelligence assessment before the event and will learn key leadership skills to make their NMT transition successful. The Academy will be open to all NMT students (free to members) but will require registration.
Training in Radiopharmaceutical Therapy
A pressing issue for the SNMMI-TS is ensuring NMTs are appropriately trained in radiopharmaceutical therapy procedures. While the administration of therapies is part of the scope of practice for NMTs, the continuous approval of new therapies makes it necessary to ensure they stay up to date with the most current and cutting-edge information. The September 2022 issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology focused entirely on radiopharmaceutical therapies—in particular, I-131, Xofigo, Lu-DOTA, Lu-PSMA, and Azedra—and provided information on patient selection; clinical, technical, and regulatory considerations;, protocols; radiation safety; dosimetry; imaging; billing; coding; and how to make the therapy a success.
In January, the SNMMI-TS debuted “Therapy Thursdays” to provide you with resources and updates from around the world in radiopharmaceutical therapy. Watch for additional information, and be sure to visit “Tools for Technologists” at www.snmmi.org/therapy. The Molecular Therapy Task Force is planning a Townhall Meeting in March, where technologists will be able to ask questions and share information on how their sites are performing therapies (pitfalls, successes, best practices, etc.). Short videos are also being created at several universities to serve as resources for technologists.
