It has been a busy year for PARCA! We are a thriving organization with over 350 members, a number which is growing daily as more PACS Professionals recognize the value of PARCA membership and certification.

In our efforts to reflect the needs of the PACS Community we serve and acting on feedback from our members, the clinical and technical pre-qualification exams were changed to become an entry-level Certification, CPAS ? Certified PACS Associate which focuses on a general technical and clinical understanding. There are currently over 50 such certified members.

The Certified PACS Interface Analyst (CPIA) focuses on connectivity and integration of the PACS, RIS and the modalities, with a strong emphasis on the technical aspects of a System Administrator?s function, and has over 15 certified members.

The Certified PACS System Analyst (CPSA) focuses on the general understanding of PACS components with an emphasis on understanding the clinical and workflow aspects, and has 5 certified members.

As anticipated the certification exams have proven to be very challenging. The PARCA Board feel that this increases the value of a PARCA certification. Comments from our members reflect this:

"The questions were very challenging!" - Miranda, Support Manager

"Wow...a challenging exam, but very applicable..." - Mark, Chief Technology Officer & Managing Partner

"I've been given a pay scale increase for passing the CPAS PARCA certification. Also, each exam I pass leads to more pay increases." - Nick, PACS/RIS Administator

So, what does the following year hold for PARCA?

We are excited to announce new members to our board: Oliver Esch, Adjunct Associate Professor from the University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences and Ed Smith, Professor of Radiology from the University of Rochester Medical Center. Both Oliver and Ed bring to PARCA a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the PACS Arena.

Discussions continue regarding the CPSM Certification. This is PARCA?s highest level certification and it will build on the skills acquired as a CPIA and CPSA. We are currently working on the logistics of putting this exam together due to it?s high profile nature and in an effort to maintain the integrity of the Certification. It is planned that there will be a ?hands-on? portion involving lab work and a practical exam. We plan to have this Certification available towards the end of 2006.

We have received enquiries regarding the status of formal recognition of the PARCA Certifications by bodies such as AHRA. At this time we are in open discussions with ASRT, AHRA and HIMSS. Because these are non-profit organizations this does take time. Hopefully we will have an update on this in the coming months.

Initially it was planned that membership would be renewable on an annual basis. We are pleased to announce that all memberships and Certifications will be valid through the end of 2006. We are working on continuing education credits for renewal of Certifications, and more information on both these subjects will be made available as necessary.

Once again PARCA is pleased to announce that we will be holding an open PARCA meeting during the PACS 2006 meeting in San Antonio on Tuesday evening, March 14. Come along and meet our board members and mingle with your peers! We are planning on having a Board Presentation followed by an open Q&A. Remember, you can save $50 on your PACS2006 registration fee by mentioning you are a PARCA member!