Iowa Communiqué

A Newsletter for the Iowa State Society AMT

Issue #2Vol 54

December2013

Dear Members, I have just returned from a beautiful trip out east . . . a cruise to Nova Scotia and down the Atlantic coast. The fall colors of reds and golds were a picture to behold. I missed the fall meeting in Wisconsin, but I heard it was well attended. Our sympathy to the family of Camille Gjovig. She was a very dedicated Iowa AMT member for many years and held several offices. We’ll have our fall meeting in Iowa in 2014. Be sure to watch for details. Put it on your calendar now! I sound like a broken record. Surpise me and attend a meeting. You’ll be glad you did. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Pat Hite, Editor

From the Editor Dates toRemember

• March5,2014-IowaBoardMeeting.Locationtobean-nounced.

• April20-26-NationalLabWeek

• July6-11,2014-NationalMeeting,DrakeHotel,Chi-cago,IL.

• June21-26,2014-NationalConvention,Hawaii.

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The American Medical Technologists (AMT) is a nonprofit certification agency and professional membership association representing over 60,000 individuals in allied health care. Established in 1939, AMT has been providing allied health professionals with professional certification services and membership programs to enhance their professional and personal growth.

AMT’s 75th Educational Program and Annual Meeting was a great gathering. We had interesting topics and speakers. Thanks to Diane Powell and the AMT staff for all their hard work. Truly a job well done once again.

Congratulations to all the award winners of the Great Lakes District. Continue to support your state society and your state officers.

Congratulations to the officers of the AMT Board and the AMTIE Board on their election to these boards.

Thanks to the state societies that did their “story boards” at the National

From the District Councilor

Clara Boykin, MTGreat Lakes District Councilor claraboykin1023@msn.com(work) 651-999-4788(cell) 651-247-3231(home) 651-644-31281023 Dayton AvenueSt. Paul, MN 55104

Meeting this year. They were very enjoyable and brought back lots of memories. The Student Bowl was another successful venture, and it will be held again at the next National Meeting in Chicago, IL, from July 6-11, 2014, at the Drake Hotel.

We have some updates for members that were unable to attend the National Meeting. You can now send an email blast from the AMT website, www.americanmedtech.org. Please watch for an email blast from National. If you are not receiving them, please inform the AMT office by emailing mail@americanmedtech.org.

Also keep your eyes open for a bi-monthly newsletter that Janet Rosenberg, membership marketing manager, will be emailing out. A new AMT website design was rolled out in September 2013.

Continue to support your state officers.If there is anything that you need from me, please do not hesitate to contact me.

• Haveyourheatingsystem,waterheaterandanyothergas,oil,orcoalburningappliancesservicedbyaqualifiedtechni-cianeveryyear.

• Seekpromptmedi-calattentionifyoususpectCOpoison-ingandarefeelingdizzy,light-headed,ornauseous.

More on page 2

Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

2

Headline

Hello all! I hope by now all of you are getting settled in from the long summer. This year has been anything but normal. But it’s Iowa, so what may come, will come!

This year has had a lot of change and challenges, but all in good ways. My oldest daughter has graduated from college and is living at home with a job. The youngest is a senior at Iowa State University. My husband and I are thinking this empty nest isn’t so bad. We can carry on a conversation from beginning to end, except when the dog wants to play! It is nice when the kids are here and it is nice when they are away—some of you know what I mean.

Welcome to all new members who have joined this year. The Iowa Chapter has some long time members in this state and very dedicated officers and board members.

We have two meetings a year and enjoy each others’ company, so we always welcome new faces. When this newsletter hits press, we will have had the Great Lakes meeting in Middleton, Wisconsin. I am anticipating great success with this, as many people have been planning this meeting together for about two years.

From the Iowa State Society AMT PresidentMany thanks to District Councilor Clara Boykin for keeping this on track with the teleconference calls, follow-ups, and emails. Great job, Clara!

Please check out www.americanmedtech.org for new updates on our professions. Medical assistants, there has been new Medicare regulations put in place as of July 1, 2013. You can watch a free video and read the article on the new law on the above website. Also, you can find our newsletter and leadership page and even some pictures of our members on this website.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me or any of us on the leadership page, as we would be happy to talk with you! Please read the delegate report about the AMT National Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA, this year (see page 3). It was a great time!

Please keep the dates open for the next AMT National Meeting. It will be held in Chicago, Illinois, July 6 to 11, 2014—close to home!

Hoping you all stay in good health. With best regards,

Bev Christiansen, RMA, President, Iowa AMT

PresidentBev Christiansen, RMA1096 Grouse Ave. Hampton, IA 50441 (h) 641-866-6951(w) 641-357-2191Email: regencyred62@yahoo.com

Vice PresidentTamara Santee, RMA1827 Sager Ave.Waterloo, IA 50702Email: Tami.Santee@mchsi.com

SecretaryMarlyce Schrodt185 Windwood Trl. Prole, IA 50229 Phone: 515-462-1681

TreasurerShari Lenz-Buell, RMA1264 Dover St.Iowa City, IA 52230Email: sharilentzbuell@mchsi.com

Editor (also job information) Patricia N. Hite, MLT2084 Idaho Dr., Pella, IA 50219 (b) 641-628-6626 (h) 641-628-3311 Email: curtpat50219@hotmail.com

Great Lakes CouncilorClara Boykin(w) 651-999-4788(c) 651-247-3231(h) 651-644-3128Email: claraboykin1023@msn.com

Iowa Communiqué Iowa Communique is published twice yearly by the ISSAMT and cir-culated to ISSAMT members. Material for publication and ideas ex-pressed are not necessarily those of ISSAMT or AMT unless so stated. The editor reserves the right to edit articles accepted for publication.

Iowa Communiqué ISSAMT Officers

more tips on page 1• Installabattery-operatedorbatteryback-upCOdetectorandcheckorreplacethebatterywhenyouchangethetimeonyourclockseachspringandfall.Ifthedetectorsoundsleaveyourhomeimmediatelyandcall911.

• Don’tuseagenerator,charcoalgrill,campstove,orothergasolineorcharcoal-burningdeviceinsideyourhome,basement,orgarageornearawindow.

• Don’trunacarortruckinsideagarageat-tachedtoyourhouse,evenifyouleavethedooropen.

Carbonmonoxide(CO)isanodorless,colorlessgasthatcancausesuddenillnessanddeath.Itisfoundincombustionfumessuchasthoseproducedbycarsandtrucks,smallgasolineengines,stoves,lanterns,burningcharcoalandwood,andgasrangesandheatingsystems.ThemostcommonsymptomsofCOpoisoningareheadache,dizzi-ness,weakness,nausea,vomiting,chestpain,andconfusion.HighlevelsofCOinhalationcancauselossofconsciousnessanddeath.From www.cdc.gov/co/guidelines.htm

More CO Poisoning Prevention Tips

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do work on my feet all day long so I could see so many sights.

Next was the start of a great week of education and some CEUs for the sum-mer. On Monday, Dr. Cyril Wecht opened as the Keynote Speaker and discussed the many newsworthy forensic cases in the United States that he has been involved in—O.J. Simpson, Kennedy assassina-tion, JonBenet Ramsey, etc. This was very graphic and interesting at the same time.

The evening came upon us with a welcome party where was an array of buf-fet food and dancing with a 1920s theme. It was fun for all who joined in.

We attended several continuing edu-cation sessions and gained acquaintances and re-acquaintances of friends. I was glad to see several people we had met from last year’s convention in San Anto-nio who were in attendance this year.

It is always interesting to talk with the members and students to see what posi-tions they hold or have held at their work. With AMT there is a variety of careers within the association. Always good to share ideas and bring home some new ones and sometimes be grateful for who you work with and where you work.

We went to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates play a game. There just isn’t any-thing like going to a game in a stadium full of people—I was so excited I cheered for the other team when they made a couple of double plays. Then the Pirates returned the favor, so I was able to make up for cheering for the wrong team.

Then Wednesday and Thursday came with many meetings. These meetings are much needed, and I gained a lot of infor-mation in a short amount of time. It was very helpful this year, as the AMT Nation-al Office was there and extended questions to help make things go smoother with communication for everyone involved. Also, there were CEUs involving legal and medical issues, leadership training,

and more.Wednesday evening brought

Awards Night. This was in the Grand Ballroom, which had been set up with tables with huge feathers of Pittsburgh Steelers football colors (black and yel-low). This hit close to home—it could have been Iowa Hawkeye colors. We had a very nice meal and awards were presented. I did accept an award for Iowa this year for the State Honor Roll. Thank you to all the officers and members who made this happen!

The convention was well put together, and I enjoyed another year of gaining knowledge, along with meeting more people and seeing new sights.

One thing I may add as a closing thought: Pittsburgh is a known as a city of many ghosts, which I did not read about before going there. One evening at the William Penn Hotel, a gentleman showed up in a black bellboy outfit, complete with hat and some kind of keys in his hand on the 16th floor. He asked us, “How was your stay?” then walked down the hall and was gone before we returned to the rooms. I hadn’t heard the keys rattling until he was just upon us…I was just thinking about it when I came back to Iowa where the tall corn grows, and the only thing I see is raccoons coming out of the corn rows in the summer!

Thank you to the Iowa State Society for all the support in attending the AMT National Convention. I’m looking forward to next year!

Bev Christiansen, RMAPresident, Iowa AMT

Delegate ReportAMT National Convention

Hi everyone! I was asked to sum-marize this year’s AMT National Con-vention, which was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this summer in July.

I am truly trying to think of a de-scription that would fit Pittsburgh. We flew in a day early to attend an all-day meeting so we could view some of the city afterwards. Well, I just happen to be traveling with Tracy, Mixdorf, D.O., and she has been on an exercise kick since last fall. I knew I would be in for a challenge in keeping up with her, because this woman does not sit still—guess that’s why she is in family practice! I am on my feet all day long at the clinic where I work, so I thought I could keep up a pretty good pace.

After the meeting, the first stop was outside the William Penn Hotel, across the bridge and up the incline. The incline is a steep ride up the hill to the nearest restaurant, a few blocks away at the top of the hill. We found refuge in a nice little sports bar, which served sweet potato fries. Then off to find the other incline just a short walk down a hill, then up the steep incline on a sidewalk with a railing looking out over the city. We managed to make it to the other incline, traveled down the cart, and saw the sight of CenterPoint (where the three rivers meets), football stadium, and baseball stadium. When we arrived at the bottom of the incline, close to the riverside, just a dash away was a parking lot of a soccer pregame tailgate, then to watch the warm-up of professional soccer players. Then we were off to Station Square (restaurants and shopping area). We climbed a few flights of stairs to view the beauti-ful city skyline by nightfall and the colorful musical water fountain in the open area of Station Square. We then returned to our William Penn Hotel. Whew! It was beautiful and I’m glad I

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Jennifer Jergens • Marie Mabie6390 NE 14th Street • Des Moines, IA 50313

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Iowa Communique is the official publication of the Iowa State Society of the American Medical Technologists (IASSAMT), and is published two (2) times a year in the spring and fall. Any article published is the sole responsibility of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the IASSAMT unless so designated. The editor reserves the right to accept, reject, or revise any material submitted for publication. This publication is printed for the members of the IASSAMT.