News from the Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals (SICP)

News from the Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals (SICP)

Register for an RCIS or RCES Review Course Today!   

The Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals (SICP) will present their Signature Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) and Registered Cardiac Electrophysiology Specialist (RCES) Review Courses at several locations in the near future:

Central Piedmont Community College, March 24-25, Charlotte, NC

SICP invites you to attend an exciting RCIS/RCES Review Course. The two tracks will be breakout sessions. Register at www.sicp.com, as there are a limited number of spaces available. Mike Buie, Megan Hunsinger, and Patrick McGuire will instruct this course.

The Carolinas Chapter will hold a chapter social meet-and-greet on Saturday evening, March 24th. All SICP Carolinas Chapter Members and any attendees from the review course are welcome to attend. Specific location and details will be shared at a later date as determined.

Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute, March 31, Miami, FL

This one-day RCIS Review Course has a limited number of spaces available. Brian McCauley will instruct this course. Online registration is not yet available. Please visit this link for the registration form: https://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1011098480232-1222/RCIS+Reg+Form-Mar2012+BCVI.pdf.  

Medical Center of the Rockies, April 12-13, Loveland, CO

This two-day RCES Review Course is presented by the Medical Center of the Rockies.  Mike Buie and Megan Hunsinger will instruct this course. For inquiries regarding registration questions, please contact Linda Sullivan at (970) 624-2356 or lks@pvhs.org.

New Cardiovascular Horizons, June 6-9, New Orleans, LA

The Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals will host “SICP’s Signature RCIS & RCES Review Course” at the 13th Annual New Cardiovascular Horizons Conference (www.ncvh.org). SICP members will receive a discounted rate of $299 for the entire 4-day conference, including SICP’s Signature RCIS & RCES Review Course. This course will feature several instructors; details will be online once confirmed.

Meet the RCIS/RCES Review Course Instructors

Michael Buie, BS, RCES, RCIS, CCDS, CEPS, serves as the EP Specialist Consultant & Programmatic Coordinator at Sentara Heart Hospital, Norfolk, VA. Mike has a BS in Health Science from Almeda University, but has always had a passion in his 20-year career for EP/cardiology. He has been a tech, supervisor, and manager, and is now Program Coordinator for EP Development at Sentara Health Systems, as well as an instructor for EP at Sentara College of Health Sciences. He has also spent 11 years in industry as a clinical trainer and sales representative for devices, as well as 3-D mapping. Mike’s vision has always been to build awareness and education in the EP community. He seeks to train EP team members effectively to provide the most efficient and safe environment possible for the patient.

Megan Hunsinger, MS, RCIS, RCES, is the Program Coordinator, Cardiac Electrophysiology, at Sentara College of Health Sciences, Chesapeake, VA, and a full-time faculty member for the Cardiac Electrophysiology program. A 1999 graduate of Bloomsburg University, with a bachelor of science in Exercise Science, she went on to earn her master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from East Stroudsburg University in 2000. From there, she worked in local hospitals performing exercise stress testing. In 2005, Megan graduated from Sentara School of Health Professions’ Invasive Cardiovascular Technology program. She has been credentialed as an RCIS through Cardiovascular Credentialing International since 2005. After working in the cardiac catheterization lab for two years, Megan accepted a position as an instructor at Sentara College of Health Sciences’ (then called Sentara School of Health Professions) Invasive Cardiovascular Technology program. 

In January 2011, Megan was promoted to Program Coordinator of Cardiac Electrophysiology. In June 2011, she was co-director of the very first RCES Review Course in the country. Megan is a member of the SICP and Heart Rhythm Society, and is currently working on her doctorate in Education Leadership and Management through Capella University.

Patrick McGuire, RCIS, RN, BTE, FSICP, has been the Program Director of Cardiovascular Technology at St. Cloud Technical and Community College in St. Cloud, MN, for over a decade, teaching and developing the curriculum, examinations, and protocols for the cardiovascular program. Prior to that, he was a cardiovascular technologist, echocardiography instructor, and echocardiography technologist at St. Cloud Hospital, having spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserves. He is also a Retired Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman.

Patrick earned a degree in Practical Nursing from St. Cloud Technical College; studied cardiopulmonary technology at the Naval School of Health Services; received his Bachelor of Technology Education (BTE) degree in 1986 from National University in San Diego; earned two associate degrees; and received his RN in 2003 from Excelsior College, Albany, NY.

Brian D. McCauley MPH, RCIS, EMT-P SICP APHA, is currently a researcher and the laboratory manager for the Cardiovascular Research Institute’s Translational Medicine Research Lab (TMRL) at the Raymond and Ruth Perelman University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Prior to his arrival to Penn’s School of Medicine, he served 6 years on active duty in the United States Air Force as an Independent Duty Medical Technician (IDMT) attached to Air Force Special Operations Command. Upon completion of his enlistment, Brian gained employment at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA, as a Patient Care Technician-Paramedic working in the cardiac care unit, cardiac intermediate care unit, and the emergency department. After being employed at the cardiac care unit for 2.5 years, the cardiac catheterization staff recruited him to become an on-the-job trained cardiovascular technician.  

During the next 7 years in the cath lab, McCauley was exposed to every aspect of invasive cardiology — diagnostic/interventional catheterization, alcohol septal ablations, right heart catheterization, pulmonary hypertension evaluations, heart transplant assessments, mechanical heart support devices, and even the management of structural heart disease, including atrial septal defect (ASD), patent foramen ovale (PFO), and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedures.

In his new role, Brian serves as the primary researcher, the anesthetist for the large animal lab, the first assistant during cardio-thoracic surgery, and a second operator during the placement of experimental heart valves. He also plays an active role in grant acquisition. Additionally, Brian still sustains a per-diem position with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania to ensure that his human interventional skills remain honed. 

Brian received his bachelor’s degree in 2008 from Drexel University, his Post- Baccalaureate Certificate in Pre-Medical Studies in 2009 from Drexel University’s College of Medicine, and his master’s in Public Health at Drexel University’s School of Public Health in 2011. Brian holds a certification as a registered cardiovascular invasive specialist (RCIS). Currently, he is applying to medical schools, wait-listed in 2011 at Drexel University College of Medicine, and hopeful on gaining entrance during the 2012 application cycle. He maintains an active role as a clinical educator for the areas of cardiac catheterization, hemodynamics, and electrophysiology with Health Work’s clinical education team.

Welcome New SICP Chapters!

SICP is pleased to welcome three new chapters to its ranks: California Central Valley Chapter, Georgia Chapter, and Chesapeake Bay Chapter.

The California Central Valley Chapter held its first official meeting on the evening of January 5, 2012, at the Café 225 in Visalia, CA. “Introduction to PCI” was presented by Boston Scientific Interventional Cardiology to an attendance of 37 people. The Chapter’s second meeting was held on February 9, 2012, at Café 225, with “Heart Health and Valve Disease” presented by Dr. Leheb Araim, cardiovascular surgeon. Dinner for the group was generously provided by Jim Kirby at Edwards Life Science and Christina Zavatsky at Criticor. For more information about this chapter, please contact Norman Solis, nsolis@kdhcd.org.

The California Central Valley Chapter would also like to congratulate one of their members who just passed his RCES exam.

The Chesapeake Bay Chapter’s next meeting is scheduled for March 2012. Contact Sara Helke at sxhelke@sentera.com for more information about the Chesapeake Bay Chapter meeting.
The Georgia Chapter held its Heart and Vascular Institute Conference on January 28, 2012, at University Hospital in Augusta. General topics included “Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention” by Allison Hillman, CNMT, NCT, and Dr. Mac Bowman, cardiologist, and “Preceptor Workshop” and “Ergonomics for the Work Place” presented by Jeffrey Poole, BES. Breakouts were featured among three tracks:

• Cardiac Catheterization: “Legislature Issues facing Cardiac Cath Lab Technologists,” was presented by Tracy Simpson, NP, RN, MS, RCIS, and “Radiation Protection/Awareness in the Interventional Suite,” was presented by Elisabeth Frails, BSRT, MSA, RCIS.
• Echocardiology: “Cardiac Physical Diagnosis and Echocardiographic Findings” was presented by Dr. Abdulla Abdulla, cardiologist, and “Echocardiographic Tools that Aid in the Diagnosis of Coronary Heart Disease” was presented by Dr. Janet Utz, cardiologist.
• Vascular: “Role of Ultrasound in Vascular Surgical Planning/Follow-Up” was presented by Dr. Houmann Tamaddon, vascular surgeon, and “Ultrasound Imagining of Abdominal Aorta Endograft” was presented by Sharon Jenkins, ASRT, BSDMS, RDMS, RVT.

For more information about the Georgia Chapter, please contact Patricia L. Thomas, MBA, RCIS, BSRT, Program Director/CME Coordinator, University Hospital, Harry T. Harper Jr. M.D., School of Cardiac and Vascular Technology at (706) 774-5044 or pthomas@uh.org.

Lancaster General College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Lee Ann Johnson, RCIS

The Cardiovascular Invasive Specialty program at Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Sciences (LGCNHS) is a two-year accredited program granting an associate’s degree in science. Those applicants who already have a degree may opt to complete the one-year certificate program. For the degree program, the first-year curriculum includes general education classes such as Clinical Math, Anatomy and Physiology I & II, Microbiology, English, Psychology, Sociology, Patient Care, and two electives of the student’s choice. The second-year core curriculum begins with Invasive Procedures, Cardiology Lab, Rhythm Analysis and 12-Lead ECG Interpretation, Hemodynamics, Invasive Procedures II, and Cardiac Anatomy and Physiology. Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) is integrated into the fall curriculum through interactive simulation. The program boasts a 100-percent ACLS certification pass rate. The program runs one cohort a year, starting and graduating at the end of June.

In the fall semester, students have two full clinical days per week, and in the spring semester, students have three full clinical days per week. Classes for the spring semester include Pharmacology, Radiology, and Electrophysiology. The final summer semester stresses clinical experience, with students spending four full clinical days in the cath lab each week for six weeks. Presently, the program has 18 potential clinical sites, but we are planning on extending our outreach through online learning. All students must also complete a portfolio project in order to graduate. In addition to the portfolio, the program requires the students to complete an intensive capstone case study project.

The most recent changes to the program are the addition of a new graduation requirement and the development of a new class. The new graduation requirement is that all students must now pass the Cardiac Credentialing International (CCI) Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) exam in order to graduate. This requirement not only makes the student more marketable, it also provides feedback about the program to the college. The new one-credit simulation-based cardiology lab is part of the first core semester of the second year. A co-requisite to this class is Invasive Procedures I, a course that prepares the students with the basic knowledge and skills they need to perform in the catheterization lab. These two classes incorporate simulation, allowing the students to learn and apply new skills. Simulation labs help students remember and understand what they learned in the classroom, and help them see the bigger picture, thereby increasing their confidence in the clinical setting and also enforcing the concept of teamwork.

The decision to change a program’s curriculum is based on many factors. Technology changes certainly have a big impact on the profession, but changes in education also play a huge role. In the coming years, we see textbooks and courses migrating largely online. The roles of the students and faculty are changing as the college environment becomes more learner-centered.

The program typically accepts between 11 and 13 students each year, depending on clinical site availability. We have three instructors. Lee Ann Johnson, RCIS, is chair of the Cardiovascular Programs and teaches the new Cardiology Simulation Lab, Cardiovascular A&P, and Pharmacology. Lee Ann started with the college in 2007 as the Clinical Coordinator. Prior to her transition to the college, Lee Ann worked in the cardiac cath lab at Lancaster General Hospital for four years. Lauren Edgell, RCIS, BSHS, is our clinical coordinator and instructor who teaches the hands-on, skills-based classes and oversees the clinical areas. Lauren has been with the program since August of 2010. Prior to employment with the college, Lauren was employed at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, where she worked in the cardiac cath lab and taught resuscitation courses. Letitia Esbenshade-Smith, RCIS, RCES, BSBA, coordinator of the first CAAHAP-accredited electrophysiology program, teaches the Rhythm Analysis, 12-Lead ECG, and Electrophysiology courses. Before working at the college, Lish ran the electrophysiology program at Lancaster General Hospital. We are very fortunate to have support from the cardiac cath lab at Lancaster General Hospital. In addition to serving as a clinical site, we also have the services of Lancaster General Hospital staff, including senior technologist, Tim Lapp, RRT, RCIS, who teaches the hemodynamic course.

Our hopes for the future of the CIS program are intertwined with the aspirations of the technologists in our profession. Many are working to transition the RCIS credential from a registry certificate to a state-issued license. Such licensure would better recognize the Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist’s high level of knowledge and expertise, and also validate their role as a part of the professional health care team.

The Cardiovascular Invasive Specialty Program at LGCNHS is just one of numerous programs offered by the college. The college itself is unique, as only healthcare programs are offered. In addition to the Cardiovascular Invasive Specialty program, the college offers associate’s degree programs in Nursing, Surgical Technology, Medical Laboratory Science, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Radiography, and Respiratory Care. LGCNHS also boasts the very first Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education (CAAHAP)-accredited Cardiac Electrophysiology Program. The college also offers 3 Bachelor of Science degree programs: health care administration, health sciences, and nursing. The latest programs added to the college are certifications in emergency medical technician (EMT-B) and paramedic (EMT-P). These programs are taught in conjunction with Lancaster Emergency Medical Services Association (LEMSA).

We all know that there is more to learn than what is written in books. LGCNHS believes that experience is the best teacher, and all college instructors have real-world experience in the courses they teach. The college is only one block away from Lancaster General Hospital. That physical proximity, coupled with our clinical affiliation with the hospital, provides the students of every LGCNHS program with great educational and employment opportunities.

SICP Partners with New Cardiovascular Horizons in 2012

The Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals is proud to partner with NCVH again this year. We are expanding the SICP offerings to include SICP’s Signature RCIS and RCES Review Courses, Wet Lab, and Contemporary Topics for Cath Lab Professionals.

SICP has invited program directors from top cardiovascular technology programs, including Jeff Davis from Edison State College in Fort Myers, FL, and Sally Elliott from Sentara College of Health Sciences, Chesapeake, VA, to serve as course directors and faculty for these outstanding educational programs.

The review courses will help prepare attendees to sit for the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) or the Registered Cardiovascular Electrophysiology Specialists (RCES) exam offered by Cardiovascular Credentialing International.

In addition, SICP’s “Contemporary Topics for Cath Lab Professionals” will offer two days of education, featuring internationally known speakers covering topics of interest to both novices and seasoned cath lab professionals.  Featured topics will include Trans Pedal Arch Reconstruction, Radial Approach, Coronary & Peripheral Imaging Views, Cardiac and Vascular Technology, Transitioning Your Lab to Cardiac and Vascular, and Current Perspectives on FFR and IVUS, along with other contemporary topics related to cardiovascular laboratories.

An emphasis on state-of-the-art technology, fundamental practices and shared experiences of veteran cardiovascular professionals guarantees that SICP’s “Contemporary Concepts for Cath Lab Professionals” will be relevant, stimulating and informative. Given the current trend of cross-training and cross coverage in the consolidated suites in our hospitals (coronary, peripheral, and EP), the faculty understand the importance of an all-inclusive approach for the audience.  

A concerted effort has been made to design the meeting to reflect the real world we are immersed in daily and focus on specific education that attendees can implement as soon as they get back to their labs.

SICP members may register for a drastically reduced rate of $299 online at www.ncvh.org/sicp. Enter “SICP12” as the discount code to receive this rate.  Membership will be verified prior to arrival at the conference. The non-member registration rate is $599-$799.

Registration includes all educational sessions during the four-day conference, including live case demonstrations from seven national and international world-class cath labs, performed by leading physicians in the field of peripheral interventions.

For more information on New Cardiovascular Horizons 2012, please visit www.ncvh.org/2012. See you there!