The Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography approved the following position statement in April 2005:

Provision of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) procedures requires that the sonographer performing the exam be credentialed by a nationally-recognized sonography credentialing organization. In the view of the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS), there is a strong need for requisite sonographer credentialing, because medical ultrasound services are highly operator dependent. To insure patient safety, the sonographer shall demonstrate broad-based knowledge, good judgment, and appropriate real-time discretion to acquire the images and data used by the physician who interprets the studies.

Does your employer require that you pass and maintain one or more Registry credentials? Is this practice true for all sonographers in your lab? If so, SDMS would like to officially thank and recognize your employer for hiring and supporting only credentialed sonographers. Qualification criteria for the Credentialed Sonographer Workplace recognition program includes documentation that an employer complies with the SDMS position statements ‘Sonographer Credentialing’ (http://www.sdms.org/positions/credentialing.asp) and ‘Non-Diagnostic Use of Ultrasound for Entertainment Purposes in the Obstetrical Setting’ (http://www.sdms.org/positions/nondiagnostic.asp).

Please have your manager or laboratory administrator send a letter to SDMS, on your facility’s letterhead, indicating that all sonographers in your facility are credentialed and that the facility complies with the SDMS position statement on the “Non-Diagnostic Use of Ultrasound for Entertainment Purposes in the Obstetrical Setting.” When this verification is received, SDMS will send your facility a “Credentialed Sonographer Workplace” certificate of recognition. Your facility’s name will also appear in the list below.

Once approved, facility recognition will be extended for a period of one year, at which time the employer will be contacted with program recognition extension information.

Please send your letter to:

Dawn Sanchez
Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography
2745 Dallas Pkwy Ste 350
Plano, TX 75093-8730

FAX: 214-473-8563

If you have any questions, contact
Dawn Sanchez at 800-229-9506 x169 or
send an email to dsanchez@sdms.org.