Together, according to the Oxford and Merriam-Webster’s dictionaries, has meaning as an adjective and an adverb, as follows:
Adjective: self-confident, level-headed, or well-organized appropriately prepared, organized, or balanced
Adverb: with or in proximity to another person or people in a body; as a group; in or into agreement or harmony

For the first time in two years, attendees gathered together, in person at ACR 2022 — in every sense of the word!
Opportunities for members to catch up and meet new colleagues face-to-face have been few and far between due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The in-person gathering of ACR 2022 (with a virtual option) spoke volumes about the value of camaraderie within the specialty — with networking as strong as ever, after more than two years apart.

The networking portion of the meeting was crucial. This year, for example, candidates in the 2022 ACR elections were available for a meet and greet. That same afternoon, the new Fellows, Honorary Fellows, and Gold Medalists were introduced and recognized. The Convocation streamed virtually for all attendees, family, and friends, and the President’s Reception welcomed all attendees in celebration.

The mentoring program for first-time attendees was an exciting event and a great success. Mentors and mentees could meet for coffee in a mentor lounge. This fantastic program matched the future of radiology with its most experienced members — a relationship that is a win-win for mentees taking the initiative to learn and mentors sharing in the satisfaction of nurturing strong skillsets in future ambassadors of our profession.

A variety of sessions were offered, either virtually or in person. ACR RFS and YPS leaders developed programming especially relevant for their peer colleagues in attendance. Throughout the in-person gathering, there was a palpable awareness that “together through teamwork” is the way to optimize outcomes for our patients and profession. Throughout its history, radiology has enjoyed the benefits of innovators, educators, and researchers who have blazed the trail as individuals. That history should not lead anyone to believe that imaging can be practiced or delivered at a high level relying on only one person, no matter how skilled. Now, more than ever, radiology is a team sport.¹

Building relationships is critical. During the annual meeting, the Committee on Chapters hosted the Chapter Leaders Workshop to provide relevant and timely information for current state chapter officers and staff, and future leaders. Our talented state-level government relations staff featured ACR’s new grant program that is available to state chapters addressing scope of practice issues (more information and application process available at bit.ly/Scope-of-Practice). While all of the presentations provided during the Chapter Leaders Workshop were well-received, the Chapter President presentation, the Chapter Portal overview, and the breakout sessions were highly rated by attendees.

At ACR 2022 we also celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Radiology Leadership Institute® (RLI) — a decade of educating strong current and future leaders. Navigating an increasingly complex practice environment requires an additional skillset well beyond traditional clinical training, and the ACR recognized this need when it launched the RLI.

Finally, the ACR’s efforts in convening a coalition promoting radiology’s role in achieving equity across healthcare have not gone unnoticed. As radiology touches nearly every part of patient care, radiologists are uniquely positioned to spearhead initiatives addressing health disparities and accommodate specific needs of diverse patient populations. For more information and to commit to advancing health equity, visit radhealthequity.org. My hope is that we all commit to advance this cause and succeed in leveling the healthcare playing field — together.