key: cord-0982833-amy7y0j5
authors: Thamman, Ritu; Anderson, Bonita
title: ASE Membership in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Hanging out, Hanging on, Together
date: 2020-10-13
journal: J Am Soc Echocardiogr
DOI: 10.1016/j.echo.2020.10.005
sha: a7c8c3f60c094a299d0d18a606e7c1d7973c25f2
doc_id: 982833
cord_uid: amy7y0j5

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The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) comprises over 17,000 members and represents 106 countries, with international members accounting for 19% of the membership. With 18 committees, four special interest groups (SIGs), and four councils [1], the ASE has something for everyone: advocacy, education, and practice diversity. These councils and SIG bring together members with similar professional interests and areas of expertise, allowing networking and providing a forum for interaction and knowledge exchange.

One of ASE's missions is advocacy, with ASE leaders speaking on your behalf to powerful groups such as the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Through the ASE, you get access, which is critical in COVID-19 times. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, ASE was one of the first cardiovascular societies to publish a statement on patient protection, echocardiography, and POCUS to keep its members safe [2, 3] . Since this first statement, published simultaneously by JASE and JACC, the ASE has provided numerous resources to keep us updated as the pandemic continues to evolve [4].

Joining the ASE, an organization that's working for your best interests, allows you to support the causes that matter to you and listens to your professional voice. ASE represents you! Having an established group on your side -whose job is to listen to your concern, investigate the issue, and make your voice heard -gives you a powerful ally. A recent webinar on ergonomics based on a JASE publication emphasized take-home tips to quickly incorporate into their routines. It provided data to advocate for proper ergonomics at the workplace [5] .

There's great value in engaging with a network of like-minded individuals. When we connect at the ASE, we learn that our self-interest is related to each other's interests. That gives us a common identity and sense of shared responsibility as cardiovascular ultrasound specialists. A virtual fundraiser for those ASE members affected by the Australian bushfires raised over $3000, revealing our community's shared depth. The ASE GEM "Going the Extra Mile" recognition introduced in October 2019, is an opportunity to recognize our peers [6] .

ASE Statement on Protection of Patients and Echocardiography Service Providers During the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak: Endorsed by the American College of Cardiology

ASE Statement on Point-of-Care Ultrasound during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Pandemic

Characteristics and Consequences of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Pain among Cardiac Sonographers Compared with Peer Employees: A Multisite Cross-Sectional Study

Journal Club To CME: A Paradigm Shift in Cardiology Education