the Pulse Here are a few updates on the activities of the National Office and the Board of Trustees:

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1 A Publication of Cardiovascular Credentialing International Summer 2009 the Pulse From the President By Christopher M. Nelson, RN, RCIS, FSICP This time last year John Toptine, CCI s Immediate Past President announced CCI s accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Specifically CCI meets the ANSI accreditation program requirements set forth in ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024:2003 General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification Systems of Persons. This accreditation was received for all current registry level credentials (RCS, RCIS, RVS, RCES). I am very pleased to announce that as of May 27, 2009 CCI successfully passed the annual site visit for ANSI/ISO/IEC Accreditation. The Board of Trustees offered sincere congratulations to the staff of the national office who received two (2) commendations from the site visitors. The first was for their preparation and documentation for the conversion to the new internal database system and the second was the over-all knowledge of the Management System Manual (MSM) by the staff. The second commendation came after one of the site visitors interviewed staff on a random basis and found that they not only took ownership in the MSM, which includes Policies and Procedures, but they also used it as part of their daily operations. Here are a few updates on the activities of the National Office and the Board of Trustees: Later this summer, we will launch the redesign of our web site. The design for the Home Page is complete and the physical build is underway. There are significant enhancements planned to make navigation and access to resources more user friendly. Some of the enhancements will include: 1) My CCI a personal web-page hosted by CCI where registrants can manage features and resources specific to the field of cardiovascular technology. 2) An area for educators to submit outcomes data and assist graduates with placement (Job Postings). 3) An area dedicated to providing current and relevant information on Advocacy issues and Government Relations. The template for CCI s on-line exam application is in development and I hope to be able to share the timeline for launch of our new website in the next edition of The Pulse. As of April 30, 2009, 817 individuals passed their registry exam Way to go!! During the first and second quarter of this year, all of the exam committees met to review the current forms of the registry exams and write new items. Many thanks to our dedicated teams of subject matter experts who volunteer their time to support the field of cardiovascular technology. The Phlebology Registry Taskforce met in May and they have completed the first two stages in developing a new credential for this field of practice. The task force is currently reviewing data from the Job Task Analysis, building the exam blueprint and constructing items (test questions) for the exam. That about covers it for this edition just one more thing I am interested in your feedback, ideas and recommendations. Got something to say? Just send a note to President@cci-online.com.

2 Cardiovascular Credentialing International Board of Trustees & Executive Staff President Christopher M. Nelson, RN, RCIS, FSICP President Elect / Executive Exam Committee Chair Douglas L. Passey, RCIS, RCES Treasurer James J. Shafer, BS, RVS, RVT Secretary / CT Exam Committee Chair Christie Hill Jordan, RCIS, RCS, RDCS, FASE Immediate Past President John H. Toptine, RCS, RDCS, FASE Non-Invasive Echo Exam Committee Chair Dennis K. Carney, RCIS, RCS, FASE Invasive Exam Committee Chair Erik W. Hushelpeck, RCIS, FSICP EP Exam Committee Chair Letitia P. Esbenshade-Smith, RCES, RCIS Vascular Exam Committee Chair Claudia A. Benge, RVS, RDMS, RVT American College of Cardiology (ACC) Representative Joseph Messer, MD, MACC American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) Representative J. Nilas Young, MD American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) Representatives Allan L. Klein, MD, FRCP(c), FACC, FAHA, FASE Marsha L. McIntosh, RCS, RDCS, FASE British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) Representative Simon Ray, MD Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals (SICP) Representative Doctors Honor Colleagues for 20 Years of Saving Russian Children with Heart Disease Leading Pediatric Cardiac Surgeons from Russia and U.S. Commemorate Anniversary of Surgical-Educational Missions by Bay Area s Heart to Heart OAKLAND, Calif. February 5, 2009 Each year worldwide, 1.3 million children are born with congenital heart disease, but only about 10-15% have access to modern heart care. Heart to Heart, a non-profit organization leading teams of American heart specialists to save the lives of babies born with heart disease in the Soviet Union and the new Russia, will celebrate 20 years of bridging the gap between the U.S. and Russia through the common goal of saving children s lives. Dr. Nilas Young, founder and Medical Director of Heart to Heart, prepares to blow out the candles on the organization s birthday cake marking 20 years of surgical-education missions to Russia. On Saturday, February 14, 2009 the organization will host its medical volunteers, contributors and Russian colleagues to honor them for outstanding commitment to the program, which has saved the lives of more than 7,000 children dying of heart disease in Russia. continued on page 7 Tracy Simpson, RCIS, FSICP Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) Representative Gail Size, RVS Member At Large Theodore C. Christman, RCIS, RCS, RDCS, RVS, RVT Public Member Philip M. (Mel) Snyder, IV Executive Director Aaron S. White Editor of The Pulse Janet M. Punzi Graphic Designer Laura Comer The Pulse and CCI are trade names of CCI. The Pulse is copyrighted by CCI and authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by CCI. Opinions expressed in The Pulse are not necessarily those of the CCI Board of Trustees, its agents, editors, advertisers or anyone connected with the publication. CCI assumes no liability or responsibility for any claims, actions or damages resulting from publication of any article. CCI does not endorse nor recommend any review course or review material. Cardiovascular Credentialing International 1500 Sunday Drive, Suite 102, Raleigh, NC phone: ; fax: (919) Cardiovascular Credentialing International. All rights reserved. Natasha Lusin, recipient of the Jo Ann McGowan Humanitarian Award for Outstanding Volunteerism, celebrates with fellow awardee, Dr. Svetlana Kuzmina-Krutetskaia of St. Petersburg, Russia (recipient of the Dr. Nilas Young Humanitarian Award for Medical Leadership), and Dr. Nilas Young.

3 SCC s First Noninvasive CV Class Turns 30! By David, Adams, RCS, RDCS Spokane Community College (SCC) celebrated the 30th anniversary of the 1979 class graduation June 19th and 20th. Hosted by Dennis Carney, the original and still Program Director, there was an All Class Reunion featuring educational and social events. On Friday June 19th there was an all day seminar (8:00 am - 4:00 pm) at SCC with lectures from a variety of past graduates. CME were granted for this event. This was followed by an evening Lake Coeur d Alene Boat Cruise on the Mish-an-Nock. Saturday there was a picnic in Sullivan Park and dinner in a downtown restaurant. Front Row: Noel Monk, Steve Siefken, Greg Lockwood, Nalani Collier, David Adams. Back Row: Dennis Carney, Don Yager, Rena Wittkopf, Tom Wilbur, Lorie Chouinard, Gerry Edens. Ultrasound Education Register Online Save $ 10 Houston Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Abdominal Ultrasound Echocardiography/Cardiac Doppler Carotid Ultrasound Venus Reflux Testing Ultrasound Vascular Ultrasound 5-Day Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Vascular Ultrasound Interpretation Echocardiography: Making Sense of the Data On- Tour Nuts and bolts of Vascular Interpretation Online or call On-Site Courses Available.. Please Call for More Info CCI does not endorse nor recommend any review course or review material. NEW! Echo ToolBox Complimentary Accounts The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) is now offering free Echo ToolBox (ETB) individual accounts. This new type of account grants users access to the CME Manager Tool, CME and License Files, and the Education and Training Tool. It serves as a wonderful online option for sonographers and physicians who need a place to store CME, licensure, training and education records. Users are not required to be ASE members to create an account in ETB and can access their records anytime, anywhere Internet is available. Take advantage of this beneficial new feature in ETB by registering at today! 3

4 ESP ULTRASOUND 2009 Committed To Your Future Passion and preparation they re part of our philosophy. We've been consistently improving our programs for years, providing extraordinary training to our students. Our classes feature detailed yet concise course outlines, attention to current exam trends and superior instruction. From the moment our program begins, great care is taken to maximize your exam preparation experience. That's why our classes are the largest and most highly regarded. We re the most successful because our students are the most successful. You'll appreciate our precision and efficiency experience the best, ESP Ultrasound. Sidney K. Edelman, Ph.D. Detroit, MI February 28 - March 1 Los Angeles, CA March Boston, MA April Atlanta, GA Oct 31 - Nov 1 Birmingham, AL February Pittsburgh, PA April 3-5 Dallas, TX May 1-3 Orlando, FL June Newark, NJ July Nashville, TN July Las Vegas, NV August 7-9 Chicago, IL September Houston, TX September Washington, DC October Chicago April Houston October 3-4 Houston June 6-7 Visit our website, for new and exciting information. Ultrasound Physics Cardiovascular Science RPVI Vascular Interpretation Adult Echocardiography Abdominal Sonography Breast Sonography Vascular Technology RPVI Vascular Interpretation RPVI Vascular Interpretation Ob/Gyn Sonography Neurosonology Pediatric Echocardiography Fetal Echocardiography I am now a card carrying RVT thanks to you concise but fully loaded review course. I will probably sit for the Physician exam next year. Prior to that I plan to take the appropriate review course you offer. George Edmonson, MD, RVT It is with pleasure to let you know that I have passed my Adult Echo boards! I am now dual-credentialed - RVT and RDCS. Your seminars and study aides were instrumental to me in reaching these milestones. Teri Dalager, RVT, RDCS I did it! I passed the Cardiac Principles and Instrumentation exam and passed it with confidence. I know I would not have been able to do it without the help of you, David Adams and your combined materials. All your materials are most useful and effective. I feel everything I read from you or Mr. Adams is relevant, quickly understandable, and it seems to stick. Clifford M. Thornton, RDCS Thank you so much. Referring all my associates to you. Keep up the good work! Jean Hemry, RDCS I successfully passed the abdominal boards this past Saturday and couldn't have done it without the help of ESP and the review course I attended. The review course that Mr. Bernhardt teaches is right on with the exam without a doubt! Karen Wolbach, RDMS, RT(R)(M) Last May I took your physicians review course and today passed the test. Thanks for a good course, which proved helpful for me. Nancy Cantelmo, MD, RPVI I appreciate the time that you spent on the phone with me, when we hung up I felt that I was ready to conquer the world. With your encouragement, your advice and your belief in me, I passed my exam! Teresa Martinez, RDMS I just wanted you to know my friend and I took your CCI class in June and both have passed our tests! Lynn Magliacano, RCS CCI does not endorse nor recommend any review course or review material.

5 CCI Credential Renewal June 30, 2009 The expiration date for CCI credentials due to renew June 20, 2009 has passed. If you have not completed your renewal requirements, you have a grace period until September 30, 2009 to submit CEUs, signed Code of Ethics and renewal payment. A copy of the CCI Code of Ethics is included with your renewal invoice or can be downloaded from our website by clicking on Registrants, Code of Ethics. New Registrants credentialed between July 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009 are not required to submit CEUs when they renew June 30, Submit only a signed copy of CCI s Code of Ethics with payment of renewal fees. The 90-day grace period is extended time to submit renewal paperwork. A late fee of $50.00 will be assessed to all registrants who submit their renewals during the grace period. Please be aware that CEUs must have been earned during the triennial cycle. CEUs earned during grace period will not be accepted but will be credited towards your next triennial cycle. If renewal requirements are not completed by September 30, 2009, credential s status will become Inactive and registrants will be required to retest to become active again. Registrants who hold RCS, RVS or RCIS credentials will not be required to retake the Cardiovascular Science exam, only the Registry exam. Submitting CEUs from an approved site does not mean that they are automatically accepted. Registrants who hold Registry credentials need to submit 36 CEUs, 30 of which must cardiovascular related CEUs to complete the renewal process. Please refer to List of Approved Providers on our website, Applicants may retake the Registry exam at any time during their triennial, with no penalty, to satisfy their CEU requirement, at a reduced cost. Exam must be completed and passed before end of triennial cycle. We urge our registrants who have not submitted the required CEUs, Code of Ethics form and renewal payment to do so prior to September 30, 2009 to avoid retesting. CCI does not endorse nor recommend any review course or review material. 5

6 Welcome to the Profession As part of CCI s efforts to provide outcome results to various Educational programs, CCI allows applicants who qualify to take their Registry exams prior to graduation. The ability of students to take their credentialing examination before graduation assists Educational Programs with the outcome statistics. The results are in and CCI wishes to congratulate the 2009 Graduates of Sentara School of Health Professions. All of Sentara s students took their exam and all passed and earned their credential. Echocardiography Jennifer Budach, RCS Helainia Cwiklik, RCS Monica Havice, RCS Shanna Lake, RCS Rebekah Stout, RCS Invasive Cardiovascular Technology Virginia Chan, RCIS Anne Kiernan, RCIS Dana Long, RCIS Bryan Rountree, RCIS Shannon Saner, RCIS Non-invasive Vascular Randi Bowen, RVS Joel Laborador, RVS Ann Murden, RVS Rebecca Ryan, RVS Note: Successful applicants do not receive their credential until CCI has received proof of graduation. Educational & RCIS Review Courses Educational & RCIS Review Courses SICP is now scheduling Educational and RCIS Review Courses for 2009 Our high quality RCIS review courses are taught by experienced professionals. They can be individually customized to fit the specific needs of any audience in order to enhance success on the RCIS exam. Jeff Davis, RCIS, SICP Volunteer Review Course Coordinator Is your lab going interventional? Let SICP help! SICP does onsite evaluation of readiness for interventional programs. We can help with policies/procedures, documentation, order sets and product pricing, etc. We can also coordinate mock drills to evaluate process improvement to make your transition go smoothly. Contact SICP today for information (919) director@sicp.com STUDY ULTRASOUND ALL THE THEORY YOU NEED TO PRACTICE VASCULAR TECHNOLOGY AND ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY AND BE SUCCESSFUL ON THE REGISTRY *MOST COURSES ARE WORTH 30 CME CREDITS* or CCI does not endorse nor recommend any review course or review material. 6

7 Doctors Honor Colleagues for 20 Years of Saving Russian Children with Heart Disease continued from page 2 In 1989, after performing a pro bono surgery on a young Russian girl visiting Children s Hospital in Oakland, Dr. Nilas Young launched Heart to Heart in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) to create self-sustaining, state-of-the-art programs in infant cardiac care. In 2002, Heart to Heart expanded its scope into Russia s heartland with the goal of giving every child access to the miracle of modern heart care. On Valentine s Day, Heart to Heart will host and honor its American and Russian colleagues at a gala celebration, In XXaltation of Miracles, at the Claremont Resort and Spa in Berkeley. Eleven of the program s volunteers will be honored for distinguished service to Heart to Heart, including: Gary Raff, MD: Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgeon, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA Frank Cetta, MD: Division Chair of Pediatric Cardiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN Hersh Saluja: CEO, E2 Consulting, Emeryville, CA Michael Osborne: Artist & Designer, Michael Osborne Design, San Francisco, CA Rose Glickman, PhD: Retired professor & author, Berkeley, CA Michelle Hastings, RN: Retired Pediatric Nurse, Children s Hospital Oakland, Oakland, CA Natasha Lusin, PhD: Assistant Director of Research, Modern Language Association, New York, NY Elena Senotova: Interpreter, St. Petersburg, Russia Svetlana Kuzmina-Krutetskaia, MD, PhD: Director of Cardiology, Medical Academy of Post Graduate Studies (MAPS), St. Petersburg, Russia Vadim Lubomudrov, MD, PhD: Chief, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Children s Hospital No. 1, St. Petersburg, Russia Professor Alexandr Zorin, MD, PhD: Chief, Cardiac Surgery, Adult Hospital No. 2, St. Petersburg, Russia Heart to Heart s success comes from teaching the fundamentals used by our colleagues after we have returned home to the U.S., said Dr. Nilas Young, Founder and Medical Director, Heart to Heart and Chief of Cardiac Surgery at UC Davis Medical Center. The local talent and commitment of the heart hospitals contributes to the success of this unique collaboration to transcend generations, political climates and world events. We are honored and grateful to our colleagues and volunteers for their commitment to the success of the program. We look forward to the next 20 years of saving children s lives in Russia and throughout the world. Special guest and award recipient, Elena Senotova, will travel from St. Petersburg, Russia with her daughter Maria Heart to Heart s first patient treated at Children s Hospital Oakland in 1989 to attend the event. Elena shares her story of traveling from St. Petersburg to Moscow every year for seven years, seeking medical treatment for Maria s life-threatening congenital heart defect. Each year, her daughter was rejected for surgery in the USSR, compelling her to seek help from an American, Jo Ann McGowan, while McGowan was traveling in the Soviet Union on a business trip. Returning to Northern California, Jo Ann enlisted Dr. Young and his colleagues at Children s Hospital of Oakland to perform the medical procedures pro bono. Upon returning to Russia after her daughter was given a second chance at life, Elena helped Heart to Heart build rapport with its Russian colleagues to coordinate the examination of children in Heart to Heart s early days in Leningrad. Elena became an inspiration and a beacon of hope to hundreds of other mothers across the Soviet Union. Commending Heart to Heart for 20 years of service, James L. Cox, President & CEO of the World Heart Foundation said, In my opinion, no other organization has been as successful as Heart to Heart in the delivery of cardiac surgery to needy children in the world and it is now the model that all other such organizations emulate. I send my congratulations to all of you on your monumental contributions to the unfortunate. Your efforts and accomplishments are ones to be admired and applauded by the entire world. About Heart to Heart Since 1989, San Francisco Bay Area-based Heart to Heart ( has saved the lives of more than 7,000 children by providing compassionate, competent heart care at sponsored sites throughout the Russian Federation. With a network of hundreds of medical volunteers from some of the most prestigious hospitals in the U.S., Heart to Heart s team has made over 50 surgical-educational missions to train pediatric cardiac specialists in the USSR and the new Russia. Editor s Note: Dr. J. Nilas Young is the American College of Chest Physicians representative to the CCI Board of Trustees. John H. Toptine, CCI s Immediate Past President as well as Elaine Shea, CCI s Past President, are also active in Heart to Heart and have travelled to Russia and donated their time to this worthy organization. 7

8 PRSRT-STD US POSTAGE P A I D RALEIGH, NC PERMIT #1854 Cardiovascular Credentialing International 1500 Sunday Drive, Suite 102 Raleigh, North Carolina Return Service Requested The Pulse is GOING GREEN! In an effort to do our part as an organization to save our planet, we are offering registrants the option of receiving the CCI Pulse via starting with the Fall 2009 issue of The Pulse. All you need to do is send us an at ThePulse@cci-online.org informing our staff you would like to receive your newsletter electronically. From that issue on, The Pulse will be ed to you and will also be available on our web site at The Pulse will continue to be mailed to CCI Registrants who prefer not to receive it via . SICP Advocacy Survey The SICP Advocacy Committee created a short survey to bring awareness to advocacy issues taking place in facilities across the country. Please go to to take this survey. If any of the issues addressed in the survey have occurred to you or someone you know, please contact the SICP at director@sicp.com.