December 20, 2021

Radvocacy 101

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Alisha Rathi, MD

The ACR® Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) held a Radvocacy 101 tweet chat this November. Alexander Podlanski, MD, Aaron Bush, MD, and I were excited to share all the ins and outs of radiology and advocacy. It is critical that trainees get involved in advocacy efforts as early as medical school. It is important to the safety of our patients and to the future of our specialty.

Below is a summary of the topics discussed:

What is advocacy and why does it matter?
Our patients always come first. Advocacy is working our hardest to ensure patients have access to the best care. It is about being the voice of radiology to legislators and policymakers. And to ensure a positive future for our specialty, it is essential that we understand the latest issues and proposed legislation. Once we understand what priorities are important, advocacy is about working diligently to raise awareness about them.

How can you take advantage of advocacy opportunities?
I love this question because there are so many ways to get involved with radiology advocacy, and we have such a great group committed to ensuring a positive future for our specialty! I’ll highlight a number of ways below:

  • Follow the following Twitter accounts to stay up to date with advocacy content:
  • Participate with Radiology Advocacy Network liaisons, available for each residency program; contact me @arathimd with any questions.
  • Attend conferences such as the ACR Annual Meeting.
  • Participate in #CTA (calls to action) such as #stopthecuts.
  • Write to legislators about issues that matter to you.
  • Join your state radiological society.
  • Participate in ACR Capitol Hill Day during the ACR Annual Meeting.
  • Most importantly, listen to your patients and colleagues.

What are some recent radvocacy issues?
Currently, you can respond to a CTA encouraging your member of Congress to support H.R. 8702. We need to urge congressional action to mitigate the negative impact of the finalized evaluation and management codes within the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule so that we have the resources to provide quality care for our patients.

You can also track important legislative issues by state.

Lastly, why do you advocate?
For me, civic engagement and staying involved within the ACR is important because I want to help pave the future for the practice of radiology. Working with @RADPAC and @ACRRAN gives us a voice in Washington, DC, to promote a positive direction for the future of radiology.

Everyone has a reason for advocacy, and that’s what is so great. Advocacy is personal, and it’s about what matters to you. It’s about getting involved at the state and national levels and engaging in issues that are important.

Advocacy is crucial in every facet of life, particularly for our patients and the practice of radiology.

If any medical students, residents or fellows have any questions about getting involved, feel free to reach out. My twitter handle is @arathimd.