A message from your President
AUGUST 2010
Greetings to all members.
Because of personal and professional reasons, Dr. Goodrich has found it necessary to resign as President of our assembly, effective August 11, 2011. We thank him for his past endeavors, and will miss his leadership. The Assembly certainly wishes him and his family well in the future.
So, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Ed Kircher, CST/CFA, the new President of YOUR association, the Arizona State Assembly of Surgical Technologists (AZSA). I will be fulfilling the duties of President through the completion of Dr. Goodrich’s term (October 2011). For those new to this web site, we are, in essence, the state division of the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST), the oldest and foremost organization for surgical technologists.
Having just assumed this office, I look forward to the potential of serving you, the members. The starting goals we have at the current time are rather simple:
1. Increasing member enthusiasm and involvement in and promoting the Arizona State Assembly.
2. Providing the members with a web site which is always informative, thus keeping members current regarding the career field.
3. Providing for educational opportunity through workshops presented in varying locations.
4. Providing a resource for those with questions and concerns about the Assembly and the organization as a whole.
We have a lot of members in Arizona; unfortunately, not too many opt for the pursuit of encouraging the Assembly in its endeavors. True, we are scattered, but areas such as Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff can certainly help us in providing what the members want. We are always looking for volunteers; people willing to serve on the Board or as Officers and willing to help with projects and workshops. Just to let you know, our current Board and Officers encompasses members from Yuma, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tucson, Casa Grande and Lake Havasu. We try to meet in areas conducive to all, and encourage our members to attend such meetings. All meetings are posted in advance on this web-site.
I would like emphasize one thing to all of the members, that we, the Officers and Board of Directors receive not one dime of compensation for our efforts. We do what we do for the good of the Assembly. In today’s world, being paid nothing may not sound like a great encouragement to step up, but the personal satisfaction is something we enjoy.
This is YOUR Assembly, not ours. Please, make it a habit to visit the web-site often. We will keep it updated as best as possible. It costs you nothing, and may very well provide you with some helpful information. We encourage you to e-mail the Officers with your suggestions, comments and criticisms. Yes, believe it or not, we invite criticism. Unless we know what is bothering you, we cannot attempt to help you. Our e-mail addresses are on the web-site. Simply click and send your comments.
We offer, on the site, a place for “Member’s Articles.” Please feel free to submit a personal writing. It can be something as simple as your thoughts about the career, something new or interesting going on at your facility, or a new modality being used in the surgical theater. We will read it and render a fair judgment for publication on the site.
To all students- YOU are the future of this Assembly and the AST. This group of Officers and Board members is very concerned about you, your endeavors and your concerns. We need you and your support. Please, feel free to contact any of us with your questions. We encourage you, also, to submit a paper for possible publication on the web-site. We have a “ Student Forum” section on the site, singularly dedicated to you and your thoughts. We will certainly look over your submission, give it the attention and consideration due to it and consider it for publication on the site as well. Important also is maintaining contact with us after your graduation. We cannot get information to you without knowing where you are and how best to reach you.
We encourage everyone to continue your association with the AST. It is the only organization capable of providing all of the requirements for certification or re-certification as a CST. Keep your educational credits current, as these guarantee your ability to re-certify with AST. The AST is the only recognized organization for the support and validation of the “Certified Surgical Technologist.” Many people do not know that this is a trademarked title and is not to be used by any other organization or facility as a title for technologists certified by any organization other than the AST. Improper use of this title is an infraction of trademark laws. In addition, please keep your physical and e-mail addresses current through the AST web site
( www.ast.org ). This is how we maintain our address files.
We do look forward to seeing you at the upcoming workshop and business meeting in October (details available on this site). A lot of time and energy is being put forth to ensure a quality workshop. BUT, we need you to sign up and attend. Please do so, and make this as successful as we know it can be.
Again, I look forward to serving you in my capacity as President.
Thank you for visiting the web-site, and thank you for your continued support of the AZSA and the AST.
If you have question or comments, please feel free to contact me, or any of the officers.
Ed Kircher, CST/CFA, SA-C
Certified Surgical First Assistant
President
Arizona State Assembly of Surgical Technologists, Inc.
e-mail: president@azsa-ast.org