Media Releases
ASUM and RAB Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Medical Imaging and Ultrasound Innovation Sydney, Australia – The Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM) and Radiology Across Borders (RAB) are pleased to announce a strategic partnership between the two organisations, joining forces to enhance the delivery and accessibility of medical imaging education and services across Australasia and beyond. This new collaboration brings together two leading organisations in the field of diagnostic imaging with a shared mission to improve patient outcomes through excellence in education, training,
and outreach. The ASUM-RAB partnership will facilitate the expansion of education programs, support radiology and sonography practitioners in resource-limited regions, and create new opportunities for collaboration across clinical and academic communities.
ASUM CEO, Trish Manten, stated, “This partnership with RAB reflects our unwavering commitment to building capacity, empowering professionals, and enhancing care through ultrasound. Together, we can reach further and train better, supporting quality imaging services that are accessible to remote communities.”
ASUM President, Jo McCann, added,
“Partnering with RAB strengthens our vision of ultrasound excellence through global connection.It is an exciting step, reinforcing our role as a leader in education and a contributor to equitable healthcare across the region.”
RAB Co-Founder and Co-Chairperson, A/Prof Suresh de Silva, commented, “ASUM’s dedication to education and professional development aligns perfectly with our goals at RAB. With this partnership, we’re taking a bold step toward addressing the global imaging inequality by combining resources, knowledge, and passion.”
RAB Co-Chairperson, Trina Shnier, also commented, “Ultrasound plays a pivotal role in diagnosis in the emerging nations. So we are absolutely
thrilled to partner with ASUM, the peak ultrasound body in Australia and New Zealand. The multidisciplinary health community ASUM brings, will help us expand in countries where education can make a significant difference in reducing foetal mortality and improving early breast cancer diagnosis.
Key initiatives planned under the partnership include:
- Joint engagement in site visits to deliver ultrasound education
- Co-joint engagement across 6 key activities each year
- ASUM being a member of RAB’s Ultrasound Committee
- Support for overseas outreach missions and local mentorship programs.
The partnership signifies a powerful alignment of purpose and expertise, and both organisations are enthusiastic about the positive impacts to come for the medical imaging community and the patients it serves.
For media enquiries, please contact:
ASUM
Trish Manten
CEO
Phone: +612 9438 2078
ceo@asum.com.au
RAB
Trina Shnier
Co-Chairperson
Phone: +61 406 420 799
trina@radiologyacrossborders.org
About Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM)
ASUM is a multidisciplinary society promoting the highest standards in ultrasound through education, accreditation, and professional support.
About Radiology Across Borders (RAB)
RAB is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to teaching radiology and diagnostic imaging in developing nations to help save lives by providing access to expertise and education
The Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM) is calling on the Australian Government to take urgent action to regulate the practice of ultrasound scanning and protect the professional title of “sonographer” amid growing concerns about non-medically referred “reassurance” scans being conducted by unqualified operators.
ASUM, the peak body representing health professionals who use ultrasound across Australia and New Zealand, has raised concerns about the risk to patients with Minister Butler.
The increasing prevalence of unregulated ultrasound services—particularly in obstetric settings—offered outside the formal healthcare system and often without the oversight of qualified medical professionals presents a risk to patient health and welfare.
“These so-called ‘reassurance scans can pose significant risks to public safety,” said ASUM President Jo McCann. “Without appropriate medical referral or qualified practitioners, patients are at risk of misdiagnosis, unnecessary psychological distress, or false reassurance, which can delay appropriate clinical care.”
Key concerns associated with unregulated ultrasound practices include:
- Missed or inaccurate diagnoses due to untrained or inadequately trained operators.
- Public confusion about the purpose and limitations of non-diagnostic ultrasound.
- Improper use of equipment, risking suboptimal imaging and unsafe exposure.
- Emotional harm caused by findings presented without clinical context or follow-up.
ASUM also wish to highlight the lack of title protection in Australia, which currently allows individuals without accredited sonography qualifications to advertise and practise as “sonographers”.
“The recent ABC 7:30 report broadcast on 29 May 2025 shines a spotlight on this issue and the concerning loopholes that undermine both public trust and professional standards,” Jo McCann said. “We cannot afford to wait for harm to occur before acting.”
ASUM is calling on the Government to:
- Introduce formal title protection for “sonographer” under a national regulatory framework.
- Mandate national registration and scope of practice standards for all diagnostic ultrasound practitioners.
- Establish governing oversight for ultrasound services, modelled on the New Zealand Medical Radiation Technologists Board.
ASUM also emphasise the importance of increasing consumer awareness about the qualifications of accredited sonographers and the distinction between medical diagnostic ultrasound and unregulated “reassurance” scans.
“We are committed to working with government and health partners to educate the public and support the development of policies that safeguard patient wellbeing,” Jo McCann, ASUM President.
About ASUM
The Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine is dedicated to advancing the safe and effective use of ultrasound in healthcare through education, accreditation, and advocacy across Australia and New Zealand.
For media enquiries, please contact:
ASUM
Trish Manten
CEO
Phone: +612 9438 2078
ceo@asum.com.au
Download the media release here
The Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM) has announced the appointment of new Chief Executive Officer, Trish Manten.
Trish Manten brings a wealth of experience and executive skills to ASUM that span strategic planning, business development, commercial (contract) management, partnerships, project design and implementation.
The Board identified Trish’s passion for building engaged and purposeful teams to deliver organisational objectives and enhanced member and customer experiences as a key attribute. They believe her ability to build innovative and strategic third-party partnerships will support her leadership of ASUM, and enable the delivery of meaningful outcomes for members.
Alison Deslandes, President of ASUM, said the rigorous recruitment process has resulted in a CEO who will steer the future direction of ASUM for continued growth and success.
“As President of ASUM, I am thrilled to welcome our new CEO, whose innovative approach to engaging the next generation is exactly what our Society needs as we move into the future.
“Her exceptional emotional intelligence and ability to connect with people at all levels will help strengthen our community, ensuring that ASUM remains a leader in standards, collaboration and education in medical ultrasound,” said Deslandes.
Jo McCann, President-Elect of ASUM, who will take up the president role in November and will be ASUM’s first New Zealand-based president in 20 years, said the new CEO’s professional background will be a great asset to ASUM.
“With an extensive background in the not-for-profit sector and significant leadership and commercial experience in the global and corporate environment, Trish brings a fresh perspective to ASUM. Her expertise in strategic growth, governance, and stakeholder engagement will be instrumental in driving member engagement and our mission,” said McCann.
In reflecting on her approach to her new role as CEO of ASUM, Manten said she will stay true to the core of her leadership philosophy – the engagement of teams and stakeholders for cross-divisional collaboration.
“I am excited to be joining ASUM as CEO in the coming months. I look forward to, alongside the Board, delivering strategic goals, supporting and enhancing the member experience and continuing to grow the research and Outreach programs. Leveraging my experience, with an inclusive approach to listening and learning, I look forward to leading ASUM on its next chapter of transformation and growth,” said Manten.
Trish Manten will attend the ASUM 2024 Conference in Brisbane from 1 to 3 November and will commence her role of CEO on 2 December 2024, with her initial priority to connect with ASUM members.
MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES
Zadro is representing the Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM) to media.
For media enquiries including arranging interviews with Trish Manten and members of the Board, please contact:
Marlise Beasley
General Manager / Account Director
Zadro
0423 624 013
NEW GUIDELINES URGE IMPROVED COMMUNICATION FOR MUMS
The Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM) has launched new guidelines mapping a way forward for sonographers to open dialogue and be more transparent with obstetric patients about the results of their scans.
ASUM Chief Executive Lyndal Macpherson said the guidelines were the result of broad collaboration with a multidisciplinary team including parent groups, patient advocates, sonographers, radiologists and obstetricians and had a clear priority to improve care for expectant parents by improving communication between them and health professionals, particularly when there are unexpected or ambiguous fetal or maternal findings.
The guidelines build on PhD research by sonographer Dr Samantha Thomas Sonographers’ level of autonomy in communication in Australian obstetric settings, and feedback from expectant parents who were keen to have reassurance from their sonographer the baby was developing well rather than waiting for their next specialist or midwife appointment.
Ms Macpherson said the guidelines were not mandatory but rather were a first step in opening parentcentred communication in obstetric ultrasound with a focus also on collaboration and continuity of care between sonographers, reporting specialists and referrers.
“Opening up clear lines of communication with a set of guidelines that will help public and private settings consider this model, really responds to what parents are wanting and improves the healthcare on offer to patients,” Ms Macpherson said “Our pilots in public and private settings have been an overwhelming success. Sonographers are on the frontline conducting these scans and parents are telling us delayed communication from the day of the scan until the next time they see a doctor concerns them.
“This is not only about communicating findings with parents but also equipping sonographers to share their communication with the reporting doctor so there is a clear understanding of the information being shared across all professionals in the care team.
“Ongoing management of a complicated diagnosis will of course sit with the doctor patient relationship, but our new guidelines can support sonographers to start a clear, unambiguous, compassionate, and judgement-free communication process, that is sensitive to the parent journey.”
Parent-centred communication in obstetric ultrasound has trialled in Fiona Stanley Public Hospital, Perth, and PRP Diagnostic Imaging – Eastwood, NSW, with a high rate of parent and clinician satisfaction. “When forming organisational policies – public facilities and private radiology and obstetric practices may refer to ASUM’s Parent-Centred Communication in Obstetric Ultrasound Guidelines to consider implementing new ways of working with sonographers and parents,” Ms Macpherson said.
The Pink Elephants Support Network consulted closely on the guidelines and Board member Dr Melanie Keep said after the loss of her own baby at 11 weeks in 2019, she was moved to ensure other women experienced more open and supportive communication when faced with unexpected and sometimes traumatic pregnancy news.
Media inquiries: ASUM 0421 619 097
5th August 2013 – ASUMs CCPU in the News!
ASUM CCPU in the News! The Speed of Ultrasound
24 October 2011 – Pregnancy Loss Diagnosis
ASUM would like to draw attention to recent research conducted by the University of London and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, published in the November 2011 issue of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The studies suggest that, given inter-observer variability in ultrasound measurements and the significant variation in early embryonic growth, a more conservative approach to the diagnosis of early pregnancy loss is warranted.
The recommendation which has been temporarily endorsed by the RCOG (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) suggests a mean sac diameter (MSD) cut off >25mm and a crown rump length (CRL) cut off >7mm be introduced to minimize the risk of a false positive diagnosis of miscarriage.
While this research awaits confirmation from other centres ASUM suggests interim caution and highlights the importance of transvaginal confirmation of early pregnancy failure.
It should also be noted that many other factors are used when assessing early pregnancy failure, including the presence of a yolk sac, shape of the gestation sac, position within the uterine cavity or cervix, progress from a previous scan and correlation with known gestational age especially in IVF pregnancies.
Fergus Scott MB BS FRANZCOG DDU CMFM COGU ASUM President
Simon Meagher MB BCH BAO (Hons) BSc (Hons) FRCOG FRANZCOG FRCPI DDU COGU Policy and Standards Chair
24 October 2011