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A new society.
Greetings,
It’s time to start an organization which supports the majority of credential sleep lab personnel. The current national organization no longer supports the majority of its members. The Executive branch of the AAST has openly embraced the AASM and their special interest.
Some background:
Once the AASM became the management group for the AAST, the AAST board members became complacent. Under the guise of cooperation, the AAST board and committee members eagerly performed task to assist the AASM. They relinquished more and more control of the daily duties of the AAST to the AASM “management” group. With the AASM performing the daily operations of the AAST, it gave the AAST board members plenty of time to pursue other interest.
To maintain their interest, they ensured certain individuals did not get a chance to run for office. Think 2010. Various AAST board members controlled the election process. This was done with the blessing of the AASM. In the recent 2011 election, the announcement from the AASM, concerning the creation of its new sleep exam, was intentionally delayed until the end of the nomination period for AAST elections. They wanted to ensure they maintained control of the AAST for at least 12 more months. Why?
Time matters and money matters. In 2010 the fee for AAST approval of CEC’s for the CSS was around $250. In 2011 the fees were increased by 7 times, to around $1700. I call it price gouging. Did your rates go up?
The AASM has decided they want to control the sleep credential completely. The AASM, with the assistance of the AAST, has developed and formed a new exam for sleep techs. The goal, as stated by Dr. Watson, is to have a 100% pass rate. That will saturate the market and bring down the cost of labor simply by the process of supply and demand.
Currently:
The AASM has openly changed their focus with the state sleep societies. They no longer pretend to support any kind of standards. They are going to blatantly use the sleep societies to change the previously incorporated Polysomnography Acts, getting rid of the RPSGT by creation of the RST.
As stated in Minneapolis, the new test was written by some of the AAST board members, specifically Cindy Kistner and Melinda Trimble. As stated in Minneapolis, this new exam is not intended to supplement the RPSGT, it is meant to be a replacement. http://www.brpt.org/default.asp?contentID=165
As a sleep society officer, you were elected to represent the interest of your members. Most of your members are RPSGT’s and RRT’s. They will not benefit from the new AASM exam, as a matter of fact; it is detrimental to their welfare. If your sleep society is controlled by physicians, they are most likely going to do the same thing to your society the AASM did to the AAST. Ruin it.
It is time for the RPSGT’s and RRT’s in sleep to separate from the AASM. We have the ability to govern ourselves; we can no longer afford to be manipulated by special interest. It is time for a new voice.
Support Yourself, Support Your Members, Support Your Credential. Encourage everyone you know to disregard the new ABSM/AASM test.
Support Yourself, Support Your Members, Support Your Credential. Make sure your sleep society does not support any AASM sponsored legislation to incorporate a new “clause” or test in the Polysomnography Act.
If you cannot get rid of the AASM dominated board members, just start a new state sleep society. It really is just that easy.
The BRPT now offers a free system for registered techs to track their educational credits. So we don’t need the AAST for that.
The BRPT now offers CEC’s for educational programs. So we don’t need the AAST for that.
The AAST is supporting the AASM sleep credential. We definitely don’t need that.
So, what do we need the AAST for? Nothing.
A new international society is being formed that will support the national sleep societies, state sleep societies, and the individually registered technologists / therapist. If you are interested in being part of this new initiative please feel free to contact me on how you can support yourself, your credential and your profession.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Randy Townsend
superherozero@aol.com
It’s time to start an organization which supports the majority of credential sleep lab personnel. The current national organization no longer supports the majority of its members. The Executive branch of the AAST has openly embraced the AASM and their special interest.
Some background:
Once the AASM became the management group for the AAST, the AAST board members became complacent. Under the guise of cooperation, the AAST board and committee members eagerly performed task to assist the AASM. They relinquished more and more control of the daily duties of the AAST to the AASM “management” group. With the AASM performing the daily operations of the AAST, it gave the AAST board members plenty of time to pursue other interest.
To maintain their interest, they ensured certain individuals did not get a chance to run for office. Think 2010. Various AAST board members controlled the election process. This was done with the blessing of the AASM. In the recent 2011 election, the announcement from the AASM, concerning the creation of its new sleep exam, was intentionally delayed until the end of the nomination period for AAST elections. They wanted to ensure they maintained control of the AAST for at least 12 more months. Why?
Time matters and money matters. In 2010 the fee for AAST approval of CEC’s for the CSS was around $250. In 2011 the fees were increased by 7 times, to around $1700. I call it price gouging. Did your rates go up?
The AASM has decided they want to control the sleep credential completely. The AASM, with the assistance of the AAST, has developed and formed a new exam for sleep techs. The goal, as stated by Dr. Watson, is to have a 100% pass rate. That will saturate the market and bring down the cost of labor simply by the process of supply and demand.
Currently:
The AASM has openly changed their focus with the state sleep societies. They no longer pretend to support any kind of standards. They are going to blatantly use the sleep societies to change the previously incorporated Polysomnography Acts, getting rid of the RPSGT by creation of the RST.
As stated in Minneapolis, the new test was written by some of the AAST board members, specifically Cindy Kistner and Melinda Trimble. As stated in Minneapolis, this new exam is not intended to supplement the RPSGT, it is meant to be a replacement. http://www.brpt.org/default.asp?contentID=165
As a sleep society officer, you were elected to represent the interest of your members. Most of your members are RPSGT’s and RRT’s. They will not benefit from the new AASM exam, as a matter of fact; it is detrimental to their welfare. If your sleep society is controlled by physicians, they are most likely going to do the same thing to your society the AASM did to the AAST. Ruin it.
It is time for the RPSGT’s and RRT’s in sleep to separate from the AASM. We have the ability to govern ourselves; we can no longer afford to be manipulated by special interest. It is time for a new voice.
Support Yourself, Support Your Members, Support Your Credential. Encourage everyone you know to disregard the new ABSM/AASM test.
Support Yourself, Support Your Members, Support Your Credential. Make sure your sleep society does not support any AASM sponsored legislation to incorporate a new “clause” or test in the Polysomnography Act.
If you cannot get rid of the AASM dominated board members, just start a new state sleep society. It really is just that easy.
The BRPT now offers a free system for registered techs to track their educational credits. So we don’t need the AAST for that.
The BRPT now offers CEC’s for educational programs. So we don’t need the AAST for that.
The AAST is supporting the AASM sleep credential. We definitely don’t need that.
So, what do we need the AAST for? Nothing.
A new international society is being formed that will support the national sleep societies, state sleep societies, and the individually registered technologists / therapist. If you are interested in being part of this new initiative please feel free to contact me on how you can support yourself, your credential and your profession.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Randy Townsend
superherozero@aol.com
Views: 314
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike on
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more power to you.... full disclosure: I sit on the Board of the BRPT as its charter-mandated public member looking out for the interests of the patient.
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Permalink Reply by Chris H on
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Hi Randy,
Thankyou for not lowering the bar of educational excellence . Good Sleep,Chris
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
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Randy,
What is going to be different about this new society? I have heard rumors of no fees. How will this organization support itself. What will they offer. Will they be a branch of the BRPT as the AAST has become a branch of the AASM.
More improtantly Mike and Randy when is the BRPT going to fire it's management company over it's incompetence and poor favor of their members.
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Two Days without a response Randy. I have some more questions:
Why have you not questioned the BRPT for raising the exam price $100. I can't sayu for sure but I have heard that the cost of the symposium has gone up over the last couple of years.(This year will be my first)
Where are these BRPT CEUs I keep hearing about? The only ones that I have seen are associated with the symposium. Cost for these CEUs: $300 to the BRPT, $300 for room and board, $250 for flight, $1-200 for transpo, +spending money=$1000-1500 for 13 credits. How is this anydifferent from the price gouging you discuss above? I could take 2-4 classes at the local college for this price.
I have yet to see the BRPT sponser any local events or educational programs other than the symposium.
This argument is not raising or maintaining any bar. It is undermining the main issue of pt care. i would like to see both sorganizations done away with and binarysleep and sleep guide.com take over. Mike and Andrew at least understand the real issues.
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It will not be a branch of anything regardless of what Brenden is telling you...
I do not work for the BRPT nor am I on their board....who they fire and hire is their business...
Two days without a reply...sorry, I didn't know I was being timed.
You are mixing apples and oranges. Your cost fiqures are related to attendance to a meeting, numbers I discussed are what one organization charges another organization when there is no competetion. You can find out more about the BRPT CEUs on their webpage www.brpt.org
The BRPT, AASM, AAST, NBRC and AARC do not "sponsor" events other than their on.
I have received comments from people leaving Binarysleep because the moderators don't moderate, they dominate the conversations.
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Actually Randy I prefer to build my own opinions on such matters. Brenden's opinions are not necessarily mine. He is a good guy though.
If I am confusing apples to oranges it is because they are coming out of the same barrel. Not much of a difference when it all taste like crap if you know what I mean.
You still have not answered one of my questions!
"A new international society is being formed that will support the national sleep societies, state sleep societies, and the individually registered technologists / therapist. If you are interested in being part of this new initiative please feel free to contact me on how you can support yourself, your credential and your profession."
What will be the goal or mission of this society? If it supports our national organizations will it not just be more of the same dogma only worded in more languages..........thus international.
Like a said no matter how you mold the BS in the end it will always be BS Randy. We do not need another society let alone another useless international society. We need leadership and a change in our politics and thinking. we have allowed the BRPT and the AASM to elect their own board members for to long. It leads to the same bad politics and decision making. Why does the BRPT need a mangement company. make being a member of the BRPT board a full time job and let them manage themselves.
In the mean time our compliance issues have fallen below 50%. Heart attack rates are up[ and some countries in africa and asia have higher life expectancies than us. We are failing those we serve.
Randy Townsend said:It will not be a branch of anything regardless of what Brenden is telling you...
I do not work for the BRPT nor am I on their board....who they fire and hire is their business...
Two days without a reply...sorry, I didn't know I was being timed.
You are mixing apples and oranges. Your cost fiqures are related to attendance to a meeting, numbers I discussed are what one organization charges another organization when there is no competetion. You can find out more about the BRPT CEUs on their webpage www.brpt.org
The BRPT, AASM, AAST, NBRC and AARC do not "sponsor" events other than their on.
I have received comments from people leaving Binarysleep because the moderators don't moderate, they dominate the conversations.
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Only Stew and Barb nazi the discussions. The rest do a pretty good job.
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"You are mixing apples and oranges. Your cost fiqures are related to attendance to a meeting, numbers I discussed are what one organization charges another organization when there is no competetion"
Then what does this have to with my RPSGT credential. I could care less what the AAST, Brpt, or AASM charges one another. One of them is useless and that is what this whole argument is about. Serioulsy why do we need both a Board of Registered Polysomnogrpahic Technologist(BRPT) and an Amercian Association of Sleep TechnologistAAST? Redundant huh? One of them will die at the end of all this not the AASM. We need the docs unless we get rid of the prescription. ;)
We should call the new society the American Sleep Society as the acronym is fitting to the situation.
Make some popcorn folks this is gonna get good!
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Randy,
Have you ever accepted moneys or any type of stipend from the BRPT?
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What is the purpose of this Mike? I don't get it. How many man hours and money was spent on this? I think the BRPT's time would be better spent concentrating on what they do rather than on what others are doing. They are losing support due to this type of knee-jerk reaction. I do not believe that the BRPT is conducting itself as the "Gold Standard".
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