PPresident-Elect Visitresident-Elect Visitwith the North Carolina Chapterwith the North Carolina Chapter

John R. Frazier, Ph.D., CHPHealth Physics Society

President-Elect 2001-02

Auxier & Associates, Inc.Knoxville, Tennessee

October 18, 2001

Purpose of Chapter VisitsPurpose of Chapter VisitsStrengthen ties with national Society

Identify issues facing Health Physicists

Encourage HP’s and other radiation protection professionals to join the chapter and the Society

Identify potential members and Chairpersons for HPS Committees

Promote the agenda for the next President

Stronger chapters make a stronger Stronger chapters make a stronger society and a stronger profession.society and a stronger profession.

Health Physics Health Physics ISIS About Education About Education

OutlineOutline

Health Physics - The Profession

Health Physics Education

HPS Roles in Health Physics Education

Health Physics - The ProfessionHealth Physics - The Profession

History– Radiation protection started long before the

Manhattan Project

Health Physics Society (HPS)

Name Recognition/Brand Identification– Health Physics– Radiation Safety/Radiation Protection

What do you call your profession?What do you call your profession?

Health Physics EducationHealth Physics Education

Short coursesOn-the-job trainingUndergraduate degreesGraduate degreesRelated disciplinesCross-training

“One size does not fit all.”

What were (are) your sources of Health Physics What were (are) your sources of Health Physics education/training?education/training?

HPS Roles in Health Physics HPS Roles in Health Physics EducationEducationAcademic EducationContinuing EducationEducating the PublicAdvising CongressInteracting with Federal AgenciesActivities with Other Professional Organizations

Academic EducationAcademic EducationUndergraduate and Graduate ProgramsSponsor ABET AccreditationStudent Branches (15)HPS Fellowships ($34k/yr) Travel Grants ($25k/yr)Lobbying for bills pending in Congress

““Human Capital Shortage”Human Capital Shortage”

A shortage of health physicists has been discussed for years.

Recent emphasis with a new titleFederal agencies now involvedBills before Congress to fund education for

radiation/nuclear specialists (e.g., S-242 - “Bingaman Bill”)

Do you see a current and/or future shortage of Do you see a current and/or future shortage of qualified health physicists or other radiation qualified health physicists or other radiation

protection professionals?protection professionals?

Continuing EducationContinuing Education

Professional Enrichment Program (PEP)

Continuing Education (CE) Lecture Series

Summer Schools

Resource Center

PEP Lectures (Short Courses)PEP Lectures (Short Courses)

Lectures on specific topics at HPS meetings given by specialists in their field

Annual Meeting - 54 courses Mid-Year Meeting - 9 courses Wide range of topics Some lectures are videotaped each year Nominal cost

– $40 per 2-hour course– $150 per 8-hour course

Continuing Education Lecture Continuing Education Lecture SeriesSeries

One-hour lectures on specific topics given at HPS meetings by specialists in their field

Annual Meeting - 8 one-hour lecturesMid-Year Meeting - 2 one-hour lecturesTimely Topics - Recognized SpeakersNo Cost to Attendees

HPS Summer SchoolsHPS Summer Schools

Annually since 1978One-week concentrated course on a specific

topic (e.g., June 2002 - “Applied Internal Dosimetry”)

Usually held the week before the Annual Meeting

60-100 students (typical)

Tuition $600 (typical)

What PEP courses, CE lectures, or Summer What PEP courses, CE lectures, or Summer Schools would you like to attend?Schools would you like to attend?

What PEP courses, CE lectures, or Summer What PEP courses, CE lectures, or Summer School lectures would you like School lectures would you like to teachto teach??

Resource CenterResource Center Located at the University of Cincinnati Maintains copies of past PEP and CE course

materials Maintains videotape library Nominal fee to purchase copies of course

materials Nominal fee to rent videotapes

The HPS continuing education program plays a The HPS continuing education program plays a key role in key role in attainingattaining and and maintainingmaintaining certification certification

of CHPs.of CHPs.

Chapter meetings on technical subjects help its Chapter meetings on technical subjects help its members prepare for and maintain ABHP members prepare for and maintain ABHP

certification.certification.

Public EducationPublic Education

Develop Fact SheetsReview science textbooksDevelop public education web siteWork with HPS web site Editor-in-Chief on

“Ask the Expert” web pageDevelop and present Science Teacher

Workshops

Science Teacher WorkshopsScience Teacher Workshops

Began in 1991 (concept used decades before by AEC)

Chapters trained to present the WorkshopsScience teachers educated/trained in the basics

of radiation and radiation safetyResources supplied to the chapter (free instruments,

training modules, advice, etc.)

Philosophy:“Teach children by teaching their teachers.”

Science Teacher Workshops -Science Teacher Workshops -UpdateUpdate

31 Chapters trained to present WorkshopsOver 50 Workshops presentedOver 1,000 science teachers educated and trainedOver 100,000 school children taught by these

teachers since they were trained

Outstanding Science Teacher AwardsOutstanding Science Teacher AwardsBegan two years agoRecognizes science teachers who have initiated

radiation education programs in their classroomRecognition by ChaptersRecognition by HPS at Annual MeetingProgram is expanding

When will this chapter present a Science When will this chapter present a Science Teacher Workshop?Teacher Workshop?

Advising Congress (Congressional Staff)Advising Congress (Congressional Staff)Began in earnest over 7 years ago.Current annual cost of over $70 kQuarterly briefings of key Congressional staffLuncheon Seminar for 50 staff in March 2001 Central Theme: “The Health Physics Society is a trusted

source of sound scientific advice.”

What information would you want conveyed to What information would you want conveyed to Congress?Congress?

Interacting with Federal AgenciesInteracting with Federal Agencies

Part-time paid consultant Works with State & Federal Legislation Committee Tracks activities of NRC, EPA, DOE, FDA, and other

agencies Quarterly visits by consultant and President with agency

representatives Regular reports submitted to Secretariat and Executive

Committee

Do you track the activities of the Agencies that Do you track the activities of the Agencies that regulate you?regulate you?

If so, how do you do this?If so, how do you do this?

HPS Position StatementsHPS Position Statements

Requested by membersPrepared by Scientific & Public Issues

Committee (President, President-Elect, and 3 most recent

Past-Presidents), Reviewed by Board of DirectorsRevised periodicallyCurrent listProposed topicsWidely quoted and highly regarded

HPS Position Statements - CurrentHPS Position Statements - Current

Food Irradiation (1988) Perspectives and Recommendations on Indoor Radon

(1990) Compatibility in Radiation - Safety Regulations (1992) What About “Deadly Plutonium”? (1993) Ionizing Radiation - Safety Standards for the General

Public (1993) Risk Assessment (1993)

HPS Position Statements - CurrentHPS Position Statements - Current

Low-Level Radioactive Waste (1993) Radiation Risk in Perspective (1996) Ultraviolet Radiation and Public Health (1998) Clearance of Materials Having Surface or Internal

Radioactivity (1999) Compensation for Diseases that Might be Caused by

Radiation Must Consider the Dose (2000) Occupational Radiation - Safety Standards and

Regulations are Sound (2000)

HPS Position Statements - HPS Position Statements - ProposedProposed Standards for Cleanup and Restoration of Radioactively

Contaminated Sites Managed Under FUSRAP Orphan Sources Is There a Safe Dose of Radiation? Depleted Uranium Benefits of Radiation Use of “People Scanners” Training of Operators of Ionizing Radiation-Emitting

Machines

On what topic would you like the HPS to issue a On what topic would you like the HPS to issue a Position Statement?Position Statement?

Journal, Journal, NewsletterNewsletter, and Web Site, and Web Site

Education and communication toolsJournalOperational Radiation Safety (ORS)NewsletterWeb Site

What will be your role in health What will be your role in health physics education?physics education?

Plan and attend regular technical meetings?Share your knowledge via a technical

presentation to the Chapter?Speak to students in local science classes?Help with a CHP exam preparation course?Plan and present a Science Teacher Workshop?

You are a valuable resource of You are a valuable resource of sound scientific information,sound scientific information,

share that knowledge with others.share that knowledge with others.