Region 6

Hello Region 6,

Spring is done and now we are moving into the Summer.

I would like to remind each of you who are due to recertify this year to ensure you collect the needed continuing education units for your credential. Certified Technicians require 20 units while Certified Technologist require 30, with Technologist also having to submit AHA/ACLS certification every renewal cycle.

As stated before, ASATT webinars and face-to-face meetings will accumulate the credits needed within a cycle.  However, some of us sometimes are affected by various circumstances and difficulties. The usual question is ‘What can I do now?’ Well, I am happy to announce that ASATT has another mechanism to obtain the credits needed. 

If the hours you accumulated are not enough, or you could not attend a webinar because of life challenges or circumstances, we have a new solution for individuals in these situations. The need to quickly earn credits hours can be solved by utilizing any of the current PEP offerings listed below: 

ASATT Approved Continuing Education Programs

• Oklahoma City Community College Anesthesia Technology Continuing Education Program
• MD Anderson Anesthesia Technology Fast Track Program
• Kaiser Permanente Anesthesia Practical Pathway
• Quincy College 

These programs can be used for continuing education hours when applied towards recertification.  You must first speak with headquarters and verify your eligibility. You cannot double dip. 

Please NOTE that you must take the entire course as offered by the approved institution. For example, if a certified anesthesia technologist needs recertification this year and they are unable to gather any of the continuing education credits from webinars or face-to-face meetings, then the individual could use the PEP program for continuing education credit. Most PEP programs offer between 40 and 50 CEs. This is more than the credits needed (20 for Cer.A.T. and 30 for Cer.A.T.T.) but it will allow you to recertify within the given time frame of less than 6 months. This is not a solution for everyone but having an additional way of earning the hours needed will be a net positive for anesthesia technology professionals everywhere. Furthermore, please note each PEP program has fees that must be paid to that vendor. Also, you must complete the entire PEP program to utilize the education credits. If you have questions please address them to ASATT headquarters or me. 

Also, there will be a new way to engage with ASATT soon. I do not want to spill the tea, but I will say this: The Executive Board has worked hard to make this happen. More news on that soon.

Please start making plans for our face-to-face Region 6 meeting at the end of August. We are working hard to make that happen. We have yet to finalize the site location, but we will be sending information on this soon. 

I will leave you with this quote from Simon Sinek’s book Leaders Eat Last – 

"The rank of office is not what makes someone a leader. Leadership is the choice to serve others with or without any formal rank." 

When someone leads like this everyone knows it because the leader serves and his team members respect it. However, when an individual demands performance but does not serve the team, then it is almost impossible for that person to lead effectively. 

Please continue to engage with ASATT via our various social media accounts.

Warm regards,

Otoniel Castillo MLS, Cer.A.T.T.
Region 6 Director
[email protected]