Centennial Celebration

The College celebrated its 100th anniversary during ACR 2023, featuring all the business of the Annual Meeting, large doses of hope and promise from presenters and quite a bit of centennial sparkle.

Held at the Washington Hilton, the event started with a full day of activities Saturday, May 6, that included RFS and YPS meetings, a chapter workshop for chapter leaders and a first-time session for medical students. At that evening’s Centennial Gala, more than 850 attendees watched a special ACR anniversary video and heard a series of speakers talk about what the ACR means to them. Dinner and dancing capped off the festivities.

Sunday Activities

On Sunday, Council Speaker Amy L. Kotsenas, MD, FACR, kicked off a day of business that would include addresses from BOC Chair Jacqueline A. Bello, MD, FACR; CEO William T. Thorwarth Jr., MD, FACR; Secretary-Treasurer Dana H. Smetherman, MD, MPH, MBA, FACR; and President Howard B. Fleishon, MD, MMM, FACR.

Thorwarth read a special Letter of Congressional Recognition honoring the ACR’s Centennial, signed by U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va). He also told the audience something he later reiterated to ACR staff: “I believe that the ‘Overarching Goal’ in our Strategic Plan, ‘The ACR is indispensable to all eligible members,’ is actually a true statement, not an aspiration.” Sunday’s biggest announcement came from Neil U. Lall, MD, chair of the ACR’s Brand Refresh Committee, who revealed the College’s rebranding strategy with a fresh, modern logo and a new tagline: “Focused. Forward. Together.” Lall built a case for the changes by showing a video screen full of logos from other radiology and medical groups. They all look similar, so the ACR will stand out with its bold new look, he told the audience.

On Sunday afternoon, College Nominating Committee Chair Colin M. Segovis, MD, PhD, led the audience through the annual elections process. Audience members heard from a slate of candidates vying for leadership positions in contested races. The results would be announced after voting the following day.

The festive atmosphere continued Sunday evening, when 150 new Fellows of the ACR were inducted at the Convocation ceremony. The event also included recognition of five special awards: Gold Medals to Edward I. Bluth, MD, FACR, James A. Brink, MD, FACR and Carolyn C. Meltzer, MD, FACR, FAAWR; a Distinguished Achievement Award to Robert J. Achermann, JD; and an Honorary Fellowship to Richard Pötter, MD. 

Monday and Tuesday

On Monday, the audience heard from Moreton Lecturer William E. Flanary, MD, an ophthalmologist and comedian known as Dr. Glaucomfleken. Flanary is known for using social media channels like TikTok and YouTube to advocate for healthcare reform.

Tuesday’s main event was the Economics Forum, which featured in-depth discussions about legislative issues the ACR is leading and following. Ezequiel “Zeke” Silva III, MD, FACR, was presented with the William T. Thorwarth Jr., MD, Award for excellence in economics.

Return of Hill Day

As the activities wrapped up, delegates looked forward to Wednesday’s big event: the first in-person ACR Hill Day since 2019. More than 475 radiologists visited Capitol Hill to convey the messages of ACR policy positions to Congress. Attendees made the always-popular event more fun with a photo contest on Twitter.

From beginning to end, the atmosphere was positive and jovial. After three years of virtual and hybrid events, people seemed to be excited about getting back together fully in person for the first time
since the COVID-19 pandemic.