As AHRA President, over the past eight months I’ve had the opportunity to see things in the imaging realm from a new lens, and it has been enlightening and inspiring for me. The world-renowned RSNA conference offered a wonderful opportunity to meet with AHRA corporate vendor partners to learn what they want to accomplish with us in 2023. Providing education to our members is our top priority, and we are so fortunate to have corporate partners willing and able to help us best meet our members’ needs. I look forward to continuing to build these relationships that are so valuable to the profession.
The AHRA Educational Foundation just kicked off its “$50 for 50” campaign in celebration of AHRA’s 50th anniversary this year. Last year, the AHRA Educational Foundation was able to provide over 30 scholarships valued at over $65K to our members because of the tax-deductible contributions from our AHRA family. Please keep in mind that donations are tax deductible and support a variety of scholarship opportunities. Please consider giving, as your gift will be put to great use!
In an incredible gesture, we received a $25,000 donation from an anonymous donor. It will be earmarked for the Broadley scholarship, named after an AHRA founder, Louise Broadley. This act of generosity speaks volumes about how important this profession is!
In January, Nancy Green, CAE, FASAE, was appointed AHRA Interim CEO, and has been a great addition to the AHRA team. Bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience in the association field, Nancy has worked closely with the AHRA staff and Board of Directors on strategy, and how to best provide what members need and want.
The AHRA held CLIMB 2023 in San Diego, CA, February 24-26. This meeting focused on shared knowledge, leadership experiences at all levels, and had great support from exhibitors and sponsors. All of this with a waterfront view was true magic.
Next up is the 50th Anniversary Annual Meeting to be held July 9-12, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
I know AHRA members look forward to attending the annual meeting to learn what’s new, “recharge their batteries” and network with other imaging leaders. I always walk away from the annual meeting with a renewed sense of purpose, a notebook full of notes about new information and a boost of energy.
In case you have never been to Indy, I want to share my experience. Last year in May 2022, I took a trip to Indy to do the “Indy Racing Experience.” You could not wipe the smile off of my face the entire day. Where else can you go 200 mph and get to listen to the roar of the race car up close and personal? All I can say is “WOW!” – this was an incredible experience. Indy offers great food and fun. There are multiple museums, beautiful architecture and lots of shopping opportunities nearby.
I hope that you can join us in Indy to celebrate our 50th anniversary. We have plans to honor our founders and past presidents, show appreciation to our current members and focus on our future.
The AHRA is well positioned to carry out future plans. We are excited about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going as an organization. I believe that we are THE organization that imaging professionals need to belong to in order to receive the education and networking necessary to do the best job possible. The AHRA has allowed me opportunities to learn and grow, both personally and professionally, and that is a possibility for you, too! So volunteer, network, make new friends, and attend as many educational sessions as you can. Make yourself just a little bit vulnerable to learn new things, and I promise that you will not regret it.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to me! Brenda.DeBastiani@braverahealth.com •
Brenda DeBastiani, AHRA President, MBA, CRA, FAHRA, RT(R), is director of imaging at Bravera Health Spring Hill.
