Hello MSRT Family,

I want to take a moment to reflect on what an extraordinary year 2026 has been for our profession in just a short 5 months. This has been a year of momentum, of clarity, and of purpose. The conversations happening across Minnesota have made one thing unmistakably clear: licensure is not just important; it is essential to the future of medical imaging and radiation therapy in our state. We started and 2024 towards these milestones and continue to move forward.

When I stepped into the role of President‑Elect in 2024, I committed to showing up fully for this work. Since then, I have been actively engaged with our legislative team, attending meetings, participating in caucuses, coordinating our Day at the Capitol, and working alongside MediSota and other healthcare organizations to ensure our message is heard. Every environment I was in, online or in a room, I carry your voices with me, your dedication, your expertise, and your unwavering commitment to patient care.

For nearly a year, the MSRT has collaborated with the ASRT, the ARRT, the Minnesota Radiological Society, and many of our partners across sonography, nuclear medicine, and other imaging disciplines. Together with the lobbying team at Larkin Hoffman, we have worked tirelessly to advance our licensure proposal. This was a heavy lift as we spent countless hours taking the national model language and working to adapt it to the way Minnesota does licensing statutes while also accounting for existing state law regulating our practice.  We also prepared initial drafts of the Health Professional Licensing Questionnaires required by the legislature and started the process of engaging with institutional stakeholders to identify and address issues with the statutory language we will be proposing.

Unfortunately, because of the scale of the project, we were unable to get the “final” version of the bill completed in time to be introduced during the 2026 legislative session.  Our goal had been to have a publicly available proposal by the end of the session, but the intense workloads put on the Minnesota Senate Counsel’s office and the Revisory of Statutes’ Office during the final weeks of the legislative session meant that non-emergency projects like ours had to be less of a priority. While this news was disappointing, it was not a defeat. In fact, it presents an opportunity.  In fact, this will provide us additional time to incorporate valuable technical feedback from the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice, ensuring that when our bill is introduced in 2027, it is stronger, clearer, and even more operationally sound.

This additional time allows us to gather valuable feedback from the Minnesota Department of Health and the Board of Medical Practice, ensuring that when our bill is introduced in January or February, it is stronger, clearer, and even more operationally sound.

And let me be clear, we are not slowing down.

Just as we have in years past, we will continue our community outreach efforts that reflect the heart of who we are. We will keep showing up for the Invisible Heroes Walk, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, reading in schools, supporting the Ronald McDonald House, attending conferences, and working with our affiliate partners. These moments of service remind us that our profession extends far beyond the walls of our departments, it lives in the communities we care for.

As Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” And MSRT, we are pursuing this dream with courage, unity, and purpose.

In the months ahead, we will continue our leadership meetings, strengthen our grassroots efforts, and keep you informed every step of the way. Your engagement, your questions, and your passion are what fuel this movement. Together, we are building something that will protect our patients, elevate our profession, and shape the future of healthcare in Minnesota.

Thank you for your dedication, your advocacy, and your belief in this mission. The work continues and we will continue it together.

Respectfully,

MSRT President Afton