Changes to Radiology Representation to the RUC Effective March 1

The American Medical Association/Relative Value Scale Update Committee (AMA/RUC) is a unique multispecialty committee dedicated to making relative value recommendations to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for new and revised codes. The RUC is comprised of a panel of approximately 30 medical specialists who review time and value recommendations brought forth by RUC Advisors representing their medical specialties. It is through the work of these dedicated physicians who volunteer their time, energy and knowledge that the RUC process is a success.

There will be several changes to the radiology representation at the RUC, effective March 1:

Gregory N. Nicola, MD, FACR, will replace William Donovan, MD, MPH, FACR, as the Radiology RUC Member on the RUC Panel. He is board certified in diagnostic radiology and part of the executive leadership of the Hackensack Radiology Group, PA. Dr. Nicola is the ACR Economics Chair and member of the ACR Board of Chancellors. He also serves as finance chair and board member of the Hackensack Meridian Health Partners Clinically Integrated Network, one of the largest networks in New Jersey. Dr. Nicola was a former American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) RUC Advisor from 2010 to 2018 and has been attending the RUC meetings as an ACR guest since April 2020.

Lauren Parks Nicola, MD, FACR, will replace Kurt Schoppe, MD, as the Alternate Radiology Member on the RUC Panel. Dr. Nicola has been the Chief Executive Officer at Triad Radiology Associates since June 2021 and is a board-certified radiologist with subspecialties in pediatrics and breast imaging. She serves as the ACR Ultrasound Commission Chair and is a member of the ACR Board of Chancellors. Dr. Nicola began as the ACR Alternate RUC Advisor in May 2019 and quickly advanced to become the ACR RUC Advisor, a role she has held since February 2021.

Andrew (“Andy”) K. Moriarity, MD, will replace Lauren Nicola, MD, as the ACR Radiology RUC Advisor. He is currently the Vice President of Clinical Operations and the Chair of the Quality Committee at Advanced Radiology Services in Grand Rapids, MI. He also serves on the ACR Council Steering Committee and is a past YPS member of the ACR Board of Chancellors. Dr. Moriarity is currently the ACR Alternate Advisor and has assisted with numerous presentations in front of the RUC Panel.

Michael T. Booker, MD, MBA, will replace Andy Moriarity, MD, as the ACR Alternate RUC Advisor. Dr. Booker currently serves on the RUC Practice Expense Subcommittee. He is a board-certified private practice Radiologist in San Diego and has been the Radiological Society of North America’s RUC Advisor since 2018.

These physicians devote countless hours in preparation for the RUC meetings and, in coordination with advisors from societies such as the Society of Interventional Radiology, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, and the American Society for Neuroradiology, among other societies, provide important representation for Radiology at these meetings.

The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) congratulates Drs. Gregory Nicola, Lauren Nicola, Andy Moriarity and Michael Booker on their new roles at the RUC. For more information, contact Stephanie Le, ACR Director, Economic Policy.