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Joint Review Committee on                                                           Newsletter Spring 2020
            Education in Radiologic Technology                                                      Volume 2, Issue 1






















            LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE CEO

            Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, the California wildfires, tornadoes throughout the Midwest,
            and now the COVID-19 pandemic are recent adversities affecting millions of US citizens. It is
            not a matter of IF a crisis occurs, but rather WHEN a crisis will occur. Before a crisis strikes,
            leaders must determine how a disaster will affect employees and constituents; therefore,
            advance planning is critical to the success of any organization. Regardless of the size of the
            organization, everyone should have a contingency plan in place. The plan will assist the
            organization in returning to business as normal with the least amount of disruption to its
            constituents while protecting the organization’s resources and safety of its employees. The
            plan should address any catastrophic event that could affect the operations of the
            organization. The development and the success of a contingency plan requires input from
            the entire staff.
            A critical component of developing the JRCERT’s plan was to assess potential risks that
            would impact our ability to perform day-to-day responsibilities if staff were unable to access
            the office. It is imperative that staff have the appropriate technological tools permitting
            them to work remotely, such as hardware, software, internet capabilities, and the ability to
            access accreditation files and data. After identifying potential risks, a key component of the
            plan was to develop communication strategies. An integral part of this strategy is for the
            JRCERT staff to engage in daily virtual meetings. This allows staff to participate in
            discussion to assure continuity in delivery of the accreditation process. The daily   Ms. Leslie F. Winter, M.S., R.T.(R)
            communication also enables staff to stay connected on a personal basis. It provides an   Chief Executive Officer
            opportunity for our leadership to affirm that staff are maintaining their health and well-
            being and are safe during the crisis. It is important to inspire and motivate your team from
            a distance.
            An additional component in our communication strategy is to maintain ongoing
            consultation with our programs. The JRCERT staff continues to provide support and
            guidance for our programs. We are affording programs the creativity and flexibility in an
            effort to enable students to matriculate through their program. This latitude will allow
            sponsoring institutions and program officials the ability to make sound decisions that will
            provide positive outcomes for their students during these difficult times.
            The safety and well-being of our program faculty, students, site visitors, and JRCERT staff
            are always at the forefront of our decision making. It is uncertain when educators and
            students may return to the classrooms or face-to-face site visits may resume. We continue to
            respond in a proactive and dynamic manner in the environment in which we operate. It has
            been said that a crisis is an excellent opportunity to prepare for the next crisis. With that
            being said, it is important to revisit your plan periodically to assure it is up-to-date.
            As always, the JRCERT staff is available to assist you with any questions you may have.

            Stay safe and healthy.
            Leslie
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