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President’s Message
Greetings Fellow Georgia State Society Members
It is an honor and a pleasure to greet you. I just returned from “Magnolia Treas-
ures Educational Meeting” in Gulfport, Mississippi. It was a very good meeting,
excellent speakers, and the classes were most informative.
Plans are in the making for the next bi-annual Meeting in 2020. Keep an eye on
the web (www.americanmedtech.org) for further details. If you don’t have access
to the web you can call the editor, Donna Simmons at 478-213-6442 and request
a paper copy of the newsletter. Congratulations and welcome goes out to those
who just received their certifications from AMT. Please be encouraged to be in-
volved in the State Society Spring and/or Fall Meetings and attend the Annual
National Conventions.
I am most grateful to GASSAMT for electing me as your President, I am most
honored to have been elected. I will do the best job I can to serve, and follow the
by-laws and guidelines of AMT. I am asking for help from all of you. I can be
reached via phone, email, US mail, and Facebook. I want to also list the Newly
Elected Officers and Board Of Directors for GASSAMT . They are:
Hattie Gallon, MT……………………………….President
Peggy Oiler, MT…………………………………Vice President
Diana Kendrick, RMA, AHI…………………… Secretary
Carletha Durham, MT………………………… Treasurer
Donna Simmons, MT…………………………… Editor
William Donald III, MLT……………………….. Immediate Past President
Diane Adams, MLT………………………………Board Member
Betty Geary, MT…………………………………Board Member
Chantal Jordan, RPT, RMA………………………Board Member
Submitted by Hattie Gallon, President
10/22/2018
Volume 40 No. 2 * November 2018 * The Official Publication of the Georgia State Society of American Medical Technologists
Peaches and Peanuts is the Official Publication of the Georgia State Society of American Medical Technologists and is published two times a
year. Articles that appear in this publication are the opinion of the author and do not reflect the opinion of the Georgia State Society and/or the
American Medical Technologists. The Editor reserves the right to edit all articles when necessary.
Publication Dates: April 15 and October 15. All articles and other items must be submitted to the Editor by March 15 and September 15
Page 2 Officers & Board AMT Information Page 3 Southern District Councillor’s Message Page 4 Up Coming Meetings National Meeting Pictures Editor’s Corner Page 5 Delegate Reports Page 6 Article by Diana Kendrick Page 7 Article continued Delegate Reports Page 8 Delegate Reports
Page 9
Magnolia Meeting Pics
Page 10
Magnolia Meeting pics And Speakers
In This Issue
Page 2
Officers and Board Members
Vice President Peggy Oiler, MT(AMT) [email protected]
Treasurer/Legislative Chair Carletha Durham, MT(AMT) [email protected]
Editor Donna Simmons, MT(AMT) [email protected]
Board Member Betty Geary, MT (AMT) [email protected]
President Hattie Gallon, MT (AMT) [email protected]
Immediate Past President William S. Donald III, D Min, MLT (AMT) [email protected]
Secretary Diana Kendrick, AHI, RMA (AMT) [email protected]
Board Member/ Co-Editor Diane Adams, MLT (AMT) [email protected]
AMT
American Medical Technologist
Certifying Excellence in Allied Health
10700 West Higgins Road
Suite 150
Rosemont, IL 60018
(847) 823-5169
FAX (847) 823-0458
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.americanmedtech.org
AMT Southern District Councillor Kaye A. Tschop, MT (615)424-0550 [email protected]
Judiciary Councillor Kimberly Cheuvront, PhD., MT (304)694-1844
Board Member Chantal Jordan, RMA,
RPT (AMT), CMAS
Board Member
AMT
American Medical Technologist
Certifying Excellence in Allied Health
10700 West Higgins Road
Suite 150
Rosemont, IL 60018
(847) 823-5169
FAX (847) 823-0458
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.americanmedtech.org
Page 3
Fall 2018 Southern District Councillor’s Message
AMT's 80th Educational Meeting and Educational Program was held at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. There were 415 registered members, guests and students in attendance. The weather typical for July, hot and humid. What a special treat to be in our nation’s capital on the 4th of July watching fireworks over the Potomac River with your AMT friends and family. It doesn’t get any better than that!
AMT’s 81st Educational Program and National Meeting will be in Chicago, Illinois at the Chicago Hilton Hotel 720 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 6060 July 1-5, 2019. Room rates will be $ 129 + tax single or dou-ble occupancy. Plan your vacation around the AMT national meeting as there is so much to see and do
in Chicago. AMT’s 2020 meeting will be held in the Western District.
Award recipients from the Southern District received their awards at the awards banquet in Washington, DC as follows: Cuviello Commitment to Excellence Award Dr. Georgia McCauley, MT – North Carolina; Pride of the Profession – Solomon Goldenberg, RMA – Florida; Becky Award – Christopher Seay, MT Tennessee; O. C. “Skip” Skinner Armed Services Award Charlene Lynch, RMA – North Carolina; GEM Award Dr. Paul C. Brown, D. Min, MT – Alabama, David McCullough, MT – North Carolina (posthumous); Exceptional Merit - Nettie L. Norphleet, MS, RMA – Alabama; Pillar Award - Judy Fortune, RMA – Kentucky, Harry Narine, MT, RPT – CASMET; Distinguished Achievement - Sherry M. Blevins, RMA – Tennessee, Khalil L. Lucky, RPT – CASMET; Silver Service – Martha Duncan, MT – Tennessee; Friend of AMT Award Colan “Jay” Macomber – Florida; Legacy Tribute – Jackie Cooper (CASMET); Publication Awards - Journal 2nd Place – Alabama Alatech – Nettie Norphleet, Editor; Newsletter 2nd Place – Florida -Florida News for Allied Health Professionals – Kathleene Hardy, Editor, 3rd Place – North Carolina – The Tarheel Tech Tommie Williams, MT, Editor; Honor Roll State Societies - Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Norman Frankel Outstanding Student Awards - Medical Assistant Student Katherine Williamson, Miller Motte College, Cary, NC; Student Technical Writing Award 1st Place 1st Place: Jennifer Preuss Osborne, Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, NC “Does Knowledge Equal Power with HBCU Students?”. Congratulations to each of you. You have worked tirelessly for your state society and AMT and are so deserving of your award. I am proud of all your accomplishments.
Three new members were elected to the Board of Directors. Harry Narine, MT, RPT - CASMET, Martha Hinkel, MT - Rocky Moun-tain and Francine Orin, RMA-Central Plains were elected to their first term. Your AMT Officers are President: Jeannette Hobson, RMA, RPT, CMAS, AHI; Vice President: Christopher Seay, MT Secretary: Deborah Westervelt, RMA, COLT and Treasurer: Ken Hawker, MT.
Medical Assistants Recognition Week (MARW) is October 15-19, 2018. Registered Medical Assistants (RMA) will be celebrating the theme “Medical Assistants: At the Heart of Healthcare” Download the 2018 logo and promo kit from the AMT website and help get the word out in your state.
Check out the newly released AMTrax video – Quick Guide to AMTrax for CCP, now available for viewing on YouTube. It is about nine minutes in length and is a step-by-step instructional video on how to log your continuing education on AMTrax.
CASMET will hold their Biennial General Meeting & Scientific Symposium October 14-18, 2019 at the Radisson Hotel Trinidad. The Magnolia Educational Treasures (MET) will be held October 19-20, 2018 at the Holiday Inn Gulfport Airport in Gulfport, Mis-sissippi.
AMT continues to work on strategic planning for the organizations sound future. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to email me at [email protected] or phone me at (h) 615-833-3427 or (c) 615-424-0550.
Respectfully submitted,
Kaye A. Tschop, MT (AMT)
Southern District Councillor
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80th Annual National Meeting in Washington, DC
Dates To Remember
81st Educational Program and National Meeting
July 1-5, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois
Additional information on the AMT website
The 2019 Spring Meeting for the GASSAMT
The date and place to be determined at a later time
Additional information will be on the GA State Society Website when available
All the GASSAMT Delegates
Standing l to r: Chantal Jordan, Diane Adams, Idahosa Agbonifo (seated),
Marvin Williams, William Donald, Carl Walls, Diana Kendrick
Seated l to r: Elizabeth Regis, Carletha Durham, Betty Geary, Hattie Gallon,
Peggy Oiler
African History Museum
Awards Banquet
Standing: Chantal Jordan, Ron Geary,
Betty Geary, William Donald, Diane Ad-
ams
Seated: Elizabeth Regis, Peggy Oiler,
Diana Kendrick
Diane Adams and Chantal Jordan
Editor’s Corner
The year is quickly coming to an end and I want to wish everyone happy holidays and warm memories. We are starting the new year with some new officers and board members. Congratulations to each one.
As the Editor, I am always looking for volunteers to write articles and I seldom get those. I usually have to be specific and ask people for articles. I keep asking some of the same people and they can usually write but I am sure it is getting old being asked to do this frequently. I am looking for scientific, management and leg-islative articles and will be asking others to help with this. If anyone is interested in writing an article, please let me know. Donna Simmons, Editor
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Delegate Report July 1-5, 2018
By Carl Walls
The 80th Educational Program and National Meeting was held in Washington DC during the first week of July and what a great
week to be in our nation’s capital to help celebrate our country’s 242nd anniversary. This was my second time attending the Na-
tional Meeting, my first was in Memphis; however, this time I was appointed a delegate representing Georgia. I considered it a
privilege and an honor to cast my vote during Thursday’s Business Meeting. It was an exciting experience entering the giant
meeting room with all the banners of each state waving in the air and loudly answering the Roll Call “Georgia Twelve Dele-
gates”…
The educational sessions were tremendous allowing each attendee ample opportunity to acquire several continuing education
points during the week. Another one of my high points at the Annual Meeting was to attend the Armed Services Committee meet-
ing on Wednesday morning. This year Command Sergeant Major Christopher Gilpin’ was the guest speaker, discussing policy
changes within the U.S. Army.
What a great week and I look forward to attending next year’s meeting in Chicago.
Delegate Report July 1-5, 2018
By Chantal Jordan, RMA(AMT), RPT(|AMT), CMAS(AMT), CBCS(NHA), CNA
My highlight for the National Convention held on July 1, 2018-July 5, 2018 would be the Keynote Address with Tami
Evans. The topic of discussion included how to keep your leadership skills polite and courteous. The key phrase to remember “Be
Share Light” which means be a light and always willing to share your knowledge with others. After four submissions I was hon-
ored to have my scholarship approved by the AMTIE Board for $1,500 for my Bachelor degree program. I would like to provide a
few words of encouragement for our AMT members, always “let your light shine, never let anything dim your “Light”.
Delegate report July 1-5 2018
By Betty Geary, MT(AMT)
The 80th AMT Educational Program and National meeting was held July 1-5 in our Nation’s Capital in Washington DC at the
Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. Washington is a beautiful City.
There were excellent continuing education sessions and also business meetings to attend. I attended several. I will mention a cou-
ple. I enjoyed the keynote address “Half full of it: Activating Optimism and other Hard-Core Soft Skills”. Tami Evans presented
tools to help us to elevate self-confidence, create more communication skills for leadership and life. She gave us ideas to make
our lives happier and healthier.
The Dental Health and the effect on General Health session was excellent and it made me more aware of the effects that oral and
dental disease can have on one’s overall health. We all need to remember to brush our teeth, floss and take care of our gums to
prevent disease.
One of the highlights of the week was seeing the July 4th fireworks on the Potomac River. The welcome party was also fun.
The conference was excellent again this year. It was rewarding and a great learning experience. Georgia had 12 delegates. It was
an honor to serve as a delegate. Thank you GSSAMT for allowing me to serve. Congratulations to all Award winners and our
new officers. Thank you, AMT staff. It was wonderful seeing everyone and meeting new friends.
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HOW DO I REMEMBER ALL THESE DRUGS?
By Diana Kendrick, RMA, AHI (AMT), RN
On a daily basis, hundreds of prescriptions are being dispensed and administered throughout the country. As medical profession-
als it is incumbent on us to know about these medications. If you are the RMA administering the medication you must know the
medication you will be giving; the desired effect expected, side effects and adverse reactions. If you are the CMAS coding the
medication administered you need to know how it fits with the diagnosis. If you are a MT or MLT you may be testing the drug,
the outcome of the drug or how the drug would work against a microorganism. With hundreds of medications it is virtually im-
possible to know all these medications, let alone what they do. It is too easy to get confused, so how does the medical profession-
al keep them straight? Classification is the answer.
A good medical professional will understand the various medication classifications. According to drugs.com medications are
listed in classifications based on how they act in the body, or what they do. When learning the drug classifications the medical
professional should strive to understand the pharmacodynamics. Pharmacodynamics; the study of how the drugs actually effects
the body (Rice) tells us a lot about the medication. Drugs can also be listed in a classification based on the chemicals in them.
Makes sense since it is the chemicals that make the medication do what it does in the body. When these medications are adminis-
tered into the body chemical reactions begin. Some of the reactions are the intended effect, some of the chemical reactions are
not. Those that are not may be known as side effects or adverse reactions.
For instance, medications that fight bacteria would be considered antimicrobials or are better known as antibiotics. All medica-
tions in this classification do the same thing; fight infection caused by bacterium. Not all antibiotics work against bacterium in the
same way. Some antibiotics are bacteriostatic; meaning they stop the bacteria from replicating. Other antibiotics are bactericidal;
meaning they kill the bacteria. Regardless of how they fight off the bacterial infection, they accomplish the task. A chemical reac-
tion takes place that either inhibits the synthesis of the bacteria or kills it outright. This is the intended effect. However, another
chemical reaction is also taking place and it could be upsetting the balance of the body even more, causing unwanted effects such
as gastrointestinal (GI) distress. This is a side-effect. (Rice)
Most medications in this classifications and others can be further sub-classified. For instance, antibiotics can be broad spectrum,
narrow spectrum or extended spectrum antibiotics. Broad spectrum antibiotics like Amoxicillin are used when the microorgan-
isms may not be known as this sub-classification of medication works against a multitude of bacterium. Whereas narrow spec-
trum antibiotics such as Penicillin V work against a limited amount of bacterium so the practitioner generally has to have or will
have an idea of the bacteria he/she is up against. A culture and sensitivity (C&S) test performed by the MT or MLT would give
the practitioner the known bacteria as well as what antibiotic would work best against it.
The really easy part about learning medication based on the classification is that it helps you to remember general side effects or
adverse reactions, desired effect, as well as contraindications. Medications in certain classifications like antibiotics may share a
lot of the same characteristics. Antibiotics are known for their GI side effects such as nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. They are
equally known for their adverse reactions such as anaphylaxis. Side effects for narcotics are generally associated with the Central
Nervous System; dizziness, sleepiness, depression, and euphoria. By lumping medications into classifications it helps you to re-
member the better known information such as intended effect or side-effects. After you have been working in the field for a peri-
od of time you will gradually begin to learn the regular medications you administer or work with on a regular basis, but it takes
time. Will the average medical professional ever know them all, probably not, but you certainly should have a pretty good under-
standing of the top 200 or so. Listing 200 medications in classifications would make them easier to remember.
Listing drugs in classifications and knowing information about these classifications certainly condenses the information into a
more manageable thought process. Once you are comfortable with the major drug classifications, their side effects, adverse reac-
tions and effects on the body, the administration of medication is made a bit more confidently. This does not mean that only
knowing drug classifications is all you need to know, it could not be that simple. There are certain idiosyncrasies associated with
certain medications that you would want to know as well.
Take the aminoglycoside Streptomycin; classification- antibiotic, sub-classification - broad spectrum – effect - bactericidal. Be-
cause it is an antibiotic you know general GI side effects and you know the intended effect but you should also know that the
medication can lead to serious problems like ototoxicity or nephrotoxicity. The medical professional should caution the patient
about these adverse reactions so they can report them earlier rather than later. As well, we need to hear our patient’s complaints
(continued on page 7)
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(continued from page 6)
and compare them to the medications to see if there may be a correlation. If a patient comes in complaining that they “can’t hear”
or “can’t urinate” and you see they are taking one of the aminoglycosides, it should send up a red flag. Could this be signs of
Ototoxicity or nephrotoxicity, absolutely! This is a well know adverse reaction associated with this type of antibiotic. Knowing
the general side effects for the classification and then zeroing in on certain facts about particular medications help you to better
compartmentalize the information.
Analgesics dull or remove the pain. They also cause euphoria, dizziness and sleepiness. Antidepressants help relieve depression.
They can also cause suicidal thoughts, and sleepiness. Diuretics cause excretion of water. They can also cause weakness, hypo-
tension (low blood pressure), and constipation. It does not matter what the medication is, if you can just classify it you really do
know more than you think. Tylenol is an analgesic. What do you know about it? Because you know it is an analgesic you know
its intended effect is to dull or remove the pain and that possible side effects are CNS related. What do you know about Lasix? It
is a diuretic so the intended use is to help remove excess water from the cells which causes more urination. This leads right to the
possible side effects; weakness and constipation from the loss of fluid. As you can see, listing drugs in classifications can make it
easier to feel confident about the medications administered.
References
Drug.com - https://www.drugs.com/drug-classes.html
Rice, Jane, Pharmacology for Medical Assisting, 6th ed, Cengage
Delegate Report July 1-5, 2018
By Hattie Gallon MT(AMT)
Hello to those of you who attended the AMT National Convention for the first time. I hope you enjoyed it well enough that you
just can’t wait until next year and many years after, and for our regulars I was happy to see you again and I’m looking forward to
seeing you again in July 1-5, 2019 at the Hilton Hotel on Michigan Avenue in Chicago (the Windy City). I hope everyone is hav-
ing a great summer
The Hotel was within walking distance to the White House, yes, I said White House on Capitol Hill. Georgia was well represent-
ed with twelve delegates attending the thirty-three sessions, welcome social, business meeting, awards convocation and banquet.
For five days we were offered the opportunity to attend the National Convention of AMT, to be a small part of the learning expe-
rience while having the opportunity to share technical information with fellow members. It provided us all with the knowledge
which will enhance our technical and professional skills.
I am proud to say “I am a 41 year member of AMT”, and to be a part of the most dedicated support group in the medical field.
To GASSAMT, thank you for allowing me to serve as a delegate to the 80th Annual Convention. It was awesome. THANKS
AGAIN.
Delegate Report July 1-5, 2018
By Peggy Oiler, MT(AMT)
I attended several great educational sessions during the Washington, DC convention. One of the most informative for me was
about the scope of practice for medical assistants. I was surprised at how much that varies from state to state. The duties of an
RMA may include performing tests in some states but not in others. Administering vaccines is permitted in some states but not
others. Injections and placing of IV catheters are also on the list of state governed tasks. Even phlebotomy can be regulated by
the states. The most important thing I learned from this seminar was that if you are working as a medical assistant you absolutely
must know your state’s rules on scope of practice and what duties your employer can delegate to you. Don’t get inadvertently
caught up in someone else’s mistake that could cost you your livelihood !
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Delegate Report July 1-5, 2018 By William S. Donald III, D. MIN. MLT(AMT)
First, I must say how grateful that I was to have been selected to represent the GASSAMT at the National Meeting in Washing-
ton DC
There were many highlights during our time here but for the sake of time and space I will be brief. The Keynote Speaker gave
us a lot to think about in respects to how we see ourselves on the job and that we should strive to have fun performing our daily
tasks.
The President’s Meeting reinforced my belief that we are among one of the best societies because the topic was Centralized
Banking. Our Treasurer, Carletha Durham, is light years ahead of the rest as she has been correctly monitoring and recording
our finances.
Another memorable event was the State Leaders responsibilities briefing. We received a briefing on Robert’s Rules of Order
and then we had a round robin briefing on all of the officer duties. I believe that every current and potential officer should get
this periodically.
At the Awards Convocation our very own Betty Geary was recognized with her 50 years of service pin and we salute her.
A personal highlight for me came when I was able to address the entire body for a few minutes with an impromptu motivational
speech.
I want to thank all of the other 11 delegates who attended and I am proud of your participation.
On behalf of the GASSAMT, I would like to congratulate all of the newly elected Officers and Board Members, and wish them
well.
Delegate Report July 1-5, 2018 By Carletha Durham, MT(AMT)
The 80th Educational Program and National Meeting was held in Washington DC at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill during the week of our Nation’s Birthday.
Our conference location was about 10 minutes away from many of our Nation’s historical attractions like the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and much more.
Carlo Ledesma was great covering the different diagnostic molecular markers seen in myelodysplastic syndrome and how it manifests in the peripheral blood smear. He was able to show the correlation between Hematology and Molecular Science in diagnosing and treating patients. “The old meets the new.”
Dr. Floyd Josephat used real life case studies to promote critical thinking. We learned how critical thinking sessions and case studies are important teaching tools which help clinical laboratory science students better understand patient results, diagno-sis, and treatment protocol of various diseases and disorders.
Congratulations to Harry Narine from Trinidad and Tobago and Francine Oran from Lincoln, NE for being elected as our new board members. Georgia had twelve delegates.
Overall, the 80th Convention was outstanding. I can’t wait to see you all in the Windy City.
Delegate Report July 1-5, 2018
By Idahosa Agbonifo
My name is Idahosa Agbonifo, one of the delegates from the state of Georgia. Thanks to the State President, William Donald for such a tremendous leadership. I had a great time, the various speakers in the courses I attended were wonderful in their presentations. Also it was a pleasure meeting so many delegates from other states. The location was a perfect location for the July 4th celebration. Above all, hoping to see you guys in Chicago.
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Magnolia Educational Treasures
Gulfport, MS
All photographs in this newsletter were submitted by Chantal Jordan, Betty Geary or Donna Simmons
Betty Geary and Diane Adams
Carl Walls Peggy Oiler
Cindy Jones Kaye Tschop Marvin Matthews Carletha Durham
CJ and Mason-Dolphins from the Marine Mammal Institute
US Coast Guard Ship Island
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Magnolia Educational Treasures continued
Taffy K. Durfee, MS, MT(AMT) Speaker
Her 1st session was “Tattoos and Health: The Good, Bad and Ugly”
Tattoo ink has created life threatening health issues. Cases were discussed where immune systems were compromised by tattoo ink.
The 2nd session was “Rabies: Past, Present and Future Presentation”
Identified signs and symptoms of rabies, named the reservoir for rabies in each MET state and discussed how new procedures are changing the way symptomatic patients are being treated.
Editor’s Note: I was immediately interested in both of these presentations and both far exceeded my expectations. I found the session on tattoos a real eye opener. It would be great if I could actually con-vince people of the risks involved in getting tattoos. I also learned a few things about rabies that I didn’t know.
Naomi Melvin, PhD, MPH, MT(AMT) Speaker
“Update of OSHA Standards for Healthcare Employees”
Reviewed OSHA Standards for Safety, New Bloodborne Pathogen post exposure guidelines, Work-place Violence and Sexual Harassment in the workplace.
Editor’s Note: I thought when I saw the subject of this presentation that it would be boring. This was NOT the case. She broke this down and gave a lot of examples of the different standards with a practi-cal breakdown, sometimes in very humorous ways. This was definitely not boring and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Our New Officers and Board Members:
Diane Adams, Chantal Jordan, Betty Geary, Hattie Gallon, Carletha Durham, Peggy Oiler, Diana Kendrick
Cherry Ann DeCosta-Carter is on the AMT Board of Directors. She attended the GASSAMT Business Meeting and it was a delight to have her. She was also a speaker and her topic was “Got Worms?”
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