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Join Us Now to Exempt Ultrasound Guidance of Vascular Access from S. 1042 – Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence (CARE) in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Act of 2007 – Ask Members of the Senate HELP Committee to support the statements listed below:

Introduction: What is S.1042, the CARE Bill?

·         The CARE bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards for certification, education, and CME, for personnel who perform medical imaging studies, including ultrasound, in all sites of service, including hospitals.

·         Physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants would be exempt from these standards. All others would have to show compliance with the standards to be able to perform medical imaging studies.

·         Directs the Secretary to certify qualified non-profit organizations as approved bodies to provide accreditation or certification to individuals that demonstrate compliance with the standards.

Why Should Ultrasound Guidance of Vascular Access be exempted?

·         Vascular access nurses use ultrasound to guide the placement of a central venous catheter. Vascular access nurses are specially trained and licensed by the state where they practice; they do not need to be certified sonographers because they use ultrasound in such a narrow, targeted way. 

·         Ultrasound credentialing programs are too broad for vascular access nurses -- to require them to complete those would eliminate the ability of vascular access nurses to use ultrasound in these procedures.  

·         Ultrasound sonographers cannot place lines – not trained in the principal procedure of PICC placement, which requires significant training and specialized skill.

·         Ultrasound guidance of vascular access is a key patient safety procedure -- reduces complications such as arterial puncture and pneumothorax by as much as 78%. In a landmark study evaluating clinical practices to improve patient safety, AHRQ identified the use of ultrasound in guiding line placement as key to increasing patient safety. 

·         1.5 million PICC lines are placed by Registered Nurses per year in the United States with portable ultrasound.  Health Care Advisory Board Fact Brief (Feb. 10, 1999-001-223-738) states that the operational cost of placement of a PICC line in an Interventional Radiology Suite is $800 greater a case than at the bedside by an RN.  The overall cost loss to the United States Healthcare system should 1.5 million PICC lines revert back to radiology for placement by a physician, would be $1.2 billion dollars per year and tie up radiology suites with 28,845 hours per week. This would directly affect the availability of Interventional Radiologists to perform patient procedures with a higher acuity or urgent care need.

Take Action Today!!!

To Join Efforts to Exempt Ultrasound Guided Vascular Access Procedures from S. 1042, the CARE Bill, please take the following actions today:

·         Using the grid below, please call the staffer listed for each office and ask them to have the Senator for whom they work communicate with the Leadership of the Senate Health, Education, Pensions and Labor Committee, Senator Kennedy (D-MA) and Senator Enzi (R-WY) that prior to S. 1042 being voted on by the entire Senate, it needs to be amended to “Exempt the use of ultrasound to guide vascular access procedures.” Use the bullet points above to help make your case during the call.

·         Please follow-up your call with an email to the staffer, restating your request and rationale and ask them to respond back to you regarding the Senator’s actions on your behalf.

·         Please share this alert and information with your colleagues, asking them to complete these same actions. 

If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact ….me

Nancy Moureau

PICC Excellence, Inc

[email protected]

1-888-714-1952