5 minute read
CEO’S REPORT
Jodie Long, CEO, ASA O ver the last year I have seen extraordinary resilience from the sonography profession, as well as the ASA, in adapting to living in a world full of uncertainty, adopting new ways of working, learning, and connecting with people.
I am extremely proud of what the ASA has been able to provide for its over 7100 members in the last 12 months.
In a year where holding face-to-face events was extremely difficult, the ASA still delivered 32 face-to-face events to over 1000 members across Australasia. This was in addition to two conferences, one fully virtual in October and a hybrid held in Brisbane in May, which enabled all members to attend regardless of their location or restrictions. We also partnered with Echo Australia to deliver its iconic annual conference to over 400 attendees online in October. Conferences with an online element are here to stay and provide us with the opportunity to offer a wider pool of key speakers. We were fortunate to offer 14 international speakers at the Brisbane Hybrid Conference. The record attendances by members demonstrates the value of online conferences,
with over 2700 attendees to our two
conferences.
Sonographers looked to the ASA for support over the last year, and the ASA continued to provide resources to assist sonographer mental health and wellbeing. In addition to this, the ASA also provided regular and timely announcements on changes, guidelines and recommendations that affected a sonographer’s practice.
Online learning was in high demand over the last year with over 20,000 online activities undertaken
through our new learning management system.In addition, conference attendees
had access to 291 conference recordings for a
minimum of three months after the conference, so they didn’t miss a session.
Sonographers have always felt professionally invisible and over the last year the ASA has continued to increase awareness of sonographer expertise by running two social media awareness campaigns. In October, the first campaign ran the existing 10 advertisements that were launched last year, and then in May, the second campaign introduced 6 new advertisements. The 6 new advertisements covered three different areas where sonographers have an impact. A total of over two million people were reached through both campaigns.
The ASA has continued this year advocating for sonographers to be regulated in Australia to ensure the protection of the public’s health and safety. A submission was provided to the federal health department in April
after an industry consultation held in October where a draft submission was sent to 111 industry representatives. We have also received 36 letters of support from key medical stakeholders which accompany the submission. We will continue to liaise with the federal health department on this important issue before it is presented to the health ministers for agreement to then refer the submission to the Health Chief Executives Forum for preliminary assessment.
Considering the impact of COVID-19, the ASA has still attended 12 political/government meetings, as well as 26 industry meetings, and responded to 16 industry consultations as the voice of sonographers.
Evidence-based practice and research is so important for the standing of our profession within the healthcare community. Our scientific journal Sonography increased its article downloads by 85% in 2020 with over 130,000 downloads. The journal continues to thrive and this year was accepted into the Web of Science Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), increasing its impact with a wider audience.
As an organisation we have transformed digitally, reducing our printed resources and diversifying how we deliver information to members with both podcasts and videos. Our magazine Soundeffects has changed to a special edition format and is now only available online, and all conference material has also moved to online only.
The new ASA website has been a great source of information for members with over 770,000 visits to the ASA website over the past 12 months. In May we launched the ASA App, which will provide members with the ability to receive latest news, register for events, as well as access ASA online all at their fingertips, anywhere, anytime.
The ASA could not continue to deliver value to its members year on year without the support of our
corporate partners and those members who
graciously volunteer their time on committees
or who impart their knowledge through presentations in various forms. This year has been particularly tough with constant changes and postponements as well as the majority of interactions moved to online platforms. I thank you all for your continued support during these very difficult times.
The organisation could not achieve all that it has over the last 12 months without the tireless work of the ASA staff.
For the last 12 months, the ASA staff have had to endure predominately working in isolation from home, have dealt with numerous changes, and uncertainty. I am so very proud of the strength and resilience the ASA staff have shown during the last year.
Everyone has gone above and beyond for the members, ensuring that they receive the very best support and service. This is reflected in our high Net Promoter Score of 49, compared to an industry benchmark for associations of 35. I thank every one of you for all your efforts over what has been a difficult and tiring year, and I am extremely grateful to have such talented and devoted staff.
I am looking forward to being able to get back to delivering our outstanding face-to-face events such as our Travelling Workshops, SIG days and seminars across Australia and New Zealand, as well as an exceptional Melbourne Conference in 2022. We are committed to supporting our over 7000 members, providing them with the very best value, continuing to lead and advocate for them, raising awareness of the expertise of sonographers and how they contribute to creating a healthier world.
With the support of our dedicated volunteers, corporate partners, and the ASA staff, I am confident that the ASA will continue to have an impact and be valued by all its members.
