We’re Listening

From the Chair of the BOC, Alan H. Matsumoto, MD, MA, FACR

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The house of radiology is facing a pivotal moment. Nationwide, already unmanageable imaging volumes continue to rise as labor shortages place increasing pressure on radiologists and their practices. Amid these complex dynamics, one truth remains clear: we are more similar than we are different AND we are stronger working together than as individual parts. Whether we practice in an independent private group, are employed by a local or national entity or do gig work as a teleradiologist, we are united by a shared commitment to imaging’s integral role in patient care — and by the very real challenges we currently face in delivering that care. To help find solutions for all, ACR leadership wants to listen to and learn from its membership.

A core principle of the ACR Strategic Plan is to “Strengthen Multidirectional Communication.” Therefore, large and complex organizations such as the ACR must do a better job of actively listening to and understanding the needs of their members.

Listening to our members is not a complex task, but it can be difficult to connect with and hear the voices of members from the wide variety of different practice models. We know many of you are busy and it can be challenging to find the time to share your thoughts and become more engaged with the College — while also wondering if your voice is even being heard. But through direct engagement, member surveys and forums, Council and chapter feedback and town halls, the College is committed to connecting with you and hearing your voices, concerns, ideas and hopes for the future of the profession — and acting on this feedback. As with the myriad practice types and models that our members leverage to make sure their patients get the care they need, the solutions to the volume crisis and evolution of practice models will be many and varied. Please know that the ACR is committed to working with you to generate resources to help all practice types succeed and thrive; focused, forward and together.

It has become increasingly clear that consolidation in radiology is one of the most important issues that will affect our specialty’s future. Small radiology practices are particularly challenged by declining reimbursements, increasing regulatory and IT infrastructural burdens, growing coverage needs, hiring new radiologists and keeping radiologists satisfied with their jobs. Therefore, we are actively reaching out to hear your stories so we can better understand how to develop strategies to serve you.

We encourage you to participate in ways that can help us understand how consolidation is impacting you and your practices. Please also share with us other topics that are keeping you up at night. We are here for you and want to help.

Every day, more than 2,275 ACR volunteer members and 520 staff work hard to move the needle on initiatives to translate your voice and needs into action. The ACR Education Center offers in-person and remote opportunities to fill skill gaps for both radiologists and their practices. Engaging with the Center not only provides radiologists with subspecialized interpretation skills but also provides opportunities to add subspecialized services and increase the number of people within a group who can offer those services, improving efficiency. Programs offered by the Radiology Leadership Institute® expand and improve radiologists’ non-clinical skills, allowing them to more deftly navigate the complex operational, regulatory and financial mazes we all face in our local and regional leadership roles. Beyond these two examples, there are many more ACR initiatives — some of which are less familiar to members, such as ARCH-AI and Assess-AI — aimed at optimizing radiologists’ success in a complicated new world. More member resources are in the works.

Advocacy and economics are the heart and soul of ACR. The collective expertise of our staff and volunteers in these forums is impressive, and it is the sum of our parts that leads to our greater success — not the least of which is our team of physician volunteers who affect and greatly influence the CPT® and RUC processes that shape fair reimbursement. While we all have a different definition of success, without the efforts of so many members working together, the waves coming to shore would be too big, numerous and difficult to navigate. Since ACR’s founding in 1923, it has been a champion of representing the independence of radiologists in the field of medicine. Throughout that time, we have benefited from our dedicated members and staff and a collective institutional memory that incorporates the best of what we have learned in our first century and the best of what we can envision for our patients and the specialty for the next 100 years.

We need to present a united front based on collaborative conversation and coordinated efforts. I have personally seen how the ACR does that work every day, and we will continue to adapt and evolve to ensure that your voices are being heard by ACR leadership, our patients, government agencies and others who have an impact on what we do every day. We use this collective voice as our guiding light forward, our North Star. Regardless of whether you are employed (regardless of the entity) or in an independent practice model, your needs are more similar to than different from your radiology colleagues. You should feel assured that ACR leadership is listening when you reach out. We constantly learn from you and your practices, and the result is that we are stronger together.