Each year, the College awards individuals whose work and dedication advance and strengthen the specialty. Spanning continents and subspecialties, this year’s recipients include individuals from across the community of imaging intervention and therapy. Commendations will be awarded at ACR 2024, the annual meeting taking place in April in Washington, D.C.

GOLD MEDAL

The Gold Medal is awarded by the BOC to radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and other distinguished scientists for their extraordinary service to the ACR or to the discipline of radiology. Service to radiology can be in teaching, basic research, clinical investigation or radiologic statesmanship, such as outstanding contributions in working with the ACR, other medical organizations, government agencies and quasi-medical organizations.

Paul H. Ellenbogen, MD, FACR, FAIUM, FSRU

“I was not the fastest radiologist because I didn't just sit at my desk and read film after film after film. I always felt I wanted not only to see the patients, but to briefly scan them myself, and I wanted my report to tell a story.” — Paul H. Ellenbogen, MD, FACR, FAIUM, FSRU

When he looks back at numerous accomplishments at the ACR that bear his fingerprints, Paul H. Ellenbogen, MD, FACR, FAIUM, FSRU, says he was mostly in the right place at the right time. Called by one peer “a true physician radiologist,” and said by another to never be satisfied with the status quo and instead always searching for new ideas that would help ACR members, the now-retired Texas radiologist carved his own path in both his leadership and his career. For his significant role in the history and evolution of the ACR, Ellenbogen has been named a 2024 Gold Medal recipient. 

“I am very excited and delighted by this honor,” says Ellenbogen, who still resides in Dallas, where he was in private practice for more than 38 years. “It's the highest honor the College awards, and it's just wonderful. I was extremely fortunate with the ACR in that several important initiatives happened to be suggested around the time that I got involved.”

The awarding of his Gold Medal seems again to be a case of being in the right place at the right time. Ellenbogen was instrumental in helping an ailing Harvey L. Neiman, MD, FACR, ease out of the role of ACR’s leader and chaired the search for a new CEO that ultimately selected William T. Thorwarth Jr., MD, FACR. This year, Thorwarth is retiring after ACR 2024 and the College has announced that the next person to take the helm will be Dana H. Smetherman, MD, MPH, MBA, FACR.

Smetherman will become the College’s first woman CEO — a fact that makes Ellenbogen especially proud, and he contacted her immediately to congratulate her. “I think she’s a terrific choice,” he says. Ellenbogen is known for his actions to engage more women in radiology. He tells the story this way:

Ellenbogen was “just a little pup” in the ACR and a member of the Council Steering Committee (CSC) when the BOC chair at the time, W. Max Cloud, MD, FACR, asked him to represent the College in a joint effort with RSNA to develop RadiologyInfo.org, a website that allows patients to learn about what to expect when they need radiology services and today receives more than 2 million hits a month. As chair of the BOC, he was instrumental in creating the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute^® — an idea a colleague, Lawrence R. Muroff, MD, FACR, suggested to him at the top of a mountain in Vail when they were skiing. He also helped pave the way for the ACR Education Center and expansion of the College’s relationship with the Canadian Association of Radiologists. 

“Things just fell into place for me when that all happened,” he says. “And then, for me, the culmination, the most important, was the creation of the Commission for Women and Diversity. I did not initiate it, but I brought the idea to the BOC, and it turned into something better than I could have imagined.”

Ellenbogen was serving as BOC chair, and a delegation from the American Association for Women in Radiology (AAWR) came to him for help. He was already a member in support of their cause. The modest-sized organization was operating on a limited budget and wanted to be more closely affiliated with the ACR for help in its growth. Ellenbogen suggested the ACR form a Commission for Women. Then he realized the mission could be bigger, and he instead suggested the Commission for Women and Diversity — which was created by the ACR in 2012 and still thrives today. He received the Presidential Award from the AAWR in 2013. 

Ellenbogen predicted in his often-quoted ACR presidential address: “The Commission for Women and Diversity has the potential to change the face of radiology and the profession of radiology more than any other force. We have an opportunity to set new standards — to be the leader in this area.” 

He once said it was “obvious” that the ACR needed to “become a more diverse organization to better serve our community, our patients and ourselves.” However, his viewpoint was “not without controversy among others, where pro and against voices needed to be reconciled to move our profession toward inclusive excellence,” according to Katarzyna J. Macura, MD, PhD, FACR, FSABI, FAAWR, who served as inaugural chair of the Commission for Women and Diversity and was one of the people who nominated Ellenbogen for the Gold Medal. 

Ellenbogen grew up in Port Chester, N.Y., and graduated with a bachelor’s in chemistry from Brown University and a medical degree from State University of New York. He was a resident in diagnostic radiology at the University of California San Diego when someone suggested he attend local radiology society meetings. When he moved to Texas, he became involved in the Dallas-Fort Worth Radiological Society, the Texas Radiological Society and then the ACR, where he became a Fellow in 1992. His 40-year tenure with the ACR included volunteer posts and many elected positions including Council speaker and president. 

“Paul has served as a unique leader for the ACR,” wrote nominator David C. Kushner, MD, FACR. “He is not a man who is satisfied with maintaining the ‘status quo.’ He has never been one to leave things ‘because of tradition’ without careful, thoughtful analysis. He is not fearful of implementing change if it will bring potential benefit.”

For instance, as ACR secretary-treasurer during a time when a dues increase was unthinkable, Ellenbogen was able to convince the Council of the future benefit of sound long-term fiscal policy adjustments, Kushner wrote. 

Even in his work, Ellenbogen did not always take the path of least resistance. He chose diagnostic ultrasound as his subspecialty, and one of his favorite parts of his job was interacting with patients — a trait that sometimes raised eyebrows among his peers, who preferred to spend their time just reading images. He even wrote about those conflicting views in a paper about clinical productivity. 

“I was not the fastest radiologist because I didn't just sit at my desk and read film after film after film,” he says. “I always felt I wanted not only to see the patients, but to briefly scan them myself, and I wanted my report to tell a story. I always thought it was important to say, why is this patient here? What was done last week or last year? What do I see? What do I think the implications are? I did that because I thought it was important that the next time this patient came in, or if they went to another facility, the people there or the next radiologist would know what I was thinking and why I was thinking it to use that as a jumping off spot.” 

One of his proudest professional accomplishments was co-writing a paper at UC San Diego that served as an early landmark publication on urinary obstruction, showing the merits of using ultrasound to detect conditions such as kidney stones or tumors, rather than injecting iodine for X-ray studies. This paper has been cited more than 430 times, and two different academic journals named it one of the most influential articles in the past 100 years.

Today, Ellenbogen is seeing ultrasound used to treat people who have Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and other ailments. “Ultrasound has progressed dramatically,” he says. “If I had known that my paper was going to be so well received. I probably would have stayed in academic radiology. It would have been a very different life.”

Geraldine McGinty, MD, MBA, FACR

“We still have a lot of work to do to recognize the diversity of talented people who contribute to our profession, and I am proud to be a part of that work.” — Geraldine McGinty, MD, MBA, FACR

Each year, the College awards individuals whose work and dedication have advanced and strengthened their specialty. The Gold Medal is an honor bestowed by the BOC for distinguished and extraordinary service to the ACR or to radiology. In recognition of her vision for and achievements in the field, Geraldine McGinty, MD, MBA, FACR, is an exemplary recipient of the ACR’s Gold Medal Award.

“A tireless advocate who has paved the way in addressing longstanding diversity challenges in radiology” is how one peer describes McGinty. Cheri L. Canon, MD, FACR, FSAR, FAAWR, a former ACR BOC member, says McGinty brings to the specialty what cannot be measured — inspiration and cleared paths for the girls and women who see a leader who looks like them.

McGinty has held numerous positions within the College over many years of service. She has served as chair of the Commission on Economics, chair of the Commission on Government Relations, founding director of the Radiology Health Equity Coalition, chair of the ACR BOC and ACR President. She is currently senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at Weill Cornell Medicine and serves a host of other organizations, including as Chair of the Commission on Radiology Education for the International Society of Radiology and as a member of the RAD-AID board of directors.

McGinty was the first woman to chair the ACR’s Commission on Economics and the first woman to take the helm as chair of the BOC. “Whenever there is a hiccup in our field, the board chair shoulders an enormous amount of responsibility,” says friend and colleague James A. Brink, MD, FACR, past president of the ACR and a Gold Medal recipient in 2023. “The chair is the point person directing a coordinated response from stakeholders, and in this role Dr. McGinty commanded tremendous respect for her clinical acumen, her administrative abilities and her domain expertise in health policy and economics.” 

McGinty says she is thrilled to be named one of the 2024 Gold Medal recipients. “It is important to have visible, diverse leaders and to highlight their careers,” she says. “It is nice to be honored for the work I have done, but I am truly honored to be in the company of leaders like Elizabeth A. Patterson, MD, FACR, who was instrumental in establishing the ACR’s Commission on Women and Diversity and one of the first Black women to be awarded Fellowship of the ACR (FACR). We still have a lot of work to do to recognize the diversity of talented people who contribute to our profession, and I am proud to be a part of that work.”

As one of the most identifiable leaders in radiology, McGinty has shown leadership in the field that transcends her numerous awards, groundbreaking positions and exceptional education initiatives. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, McGinty led the College’s efforts to provide guidance to radiology practices in determining how to adjust workflows while continuing to offer safe patient care. She worked with government agencies to ensure safe working conditions for radiologists, trainees and technologists when Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was in short supply. When the time came, she worked with local and national radiology leaders on reopening procedures to ensure that patients scheduled preventive cancer screenings that had been delayed during the pandemic.

“I also created video broadcasts in support of the radiology community and convened panels and other educational sessions to ensure that lessons learned during the pandemic would inform practice in the future,” she says. “I think this was critically important for many who were being pressured by their hospital’s leadership to remain fully open even for non-emergent studies.”

McGinty has doggedly leveraged the power of social media to reach multiple generations. “While not a typical metric of academic excellence, it should not be lost that Dr. McGinty has over 18,000 followers on social media,” Brink says. “This highlights another measure of her reputation and stature in the field. Borrowing from a phrase from popular culture, ‘When Dr. McGinty speaks, people listen.’”

She has also become an important spokesperson for the application for AI in radiology, delivering a critical keynote address at the annual meeting of the Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention Society (MICCAI) and serving as a domain expert at the Alan Turing Institute in London and the ITU-WHO Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence for Health. McGinty’s peers also acknowledge her as a gifted writer and thought leader, publishing extensive works on leadership and advocacy issues.

McGinty is known for always challenging the status quo. In looking back, she says: “It’s the little things that stand out to me the most. I remember at my first annual meeting as ACR BOC chair, there was a resident attendee whose babysitting had fallen through. She asked if she could bring her baby to the event. For me to have the power to say, ‘Yes, of course that’s OK’ is one of those seemingly small things that made a difference, and that stays with me today.

“The ACR has given me many opportunities to contribute to our specialty,” McGinty says. “It is where I learned about payment policy and where I established one of my strongest professional communities. It is humbling and inspiring to be honored with the ACR Gold Medal by the people I know and care for so much.”

Elizabeth A. Patterson, MD, FACR

“It's important to not only to find a mentor, but to be a mentor. Every time you go up one step, look down the ladder behind you and help that next person up.” — Elizabeth A. Patterson, MD, FACR

An important member of the specialty far beyond her start with the ACR in the 1980s, Elizabeth A. Patterson, MD, FACR, has been described by colleagues as “the most renowned black woman leader in mammography.” From Howard University College of Medicine to the National Medical Association (NMA) to the ACR, Patterson has made sure to inspire her fellow radiologists and bring out the best in others.  

From a young age, Patterson knew she wanted to be a doctor. As a child, she wanted to be a pediatrician, saying that’s probably because it was the only kind of doctor she knew. But during her rotating internships in the 1960s with Montefiore Hospital in Pittsburgh, she got to look at all the specialties after her first rotation. 

While examining X-rays, one kind radiologist opened her eyes to the specialty and a new career path. “I was so impressed with this individual. He was so knowledgeable,” Patterson says. “I thought to myself, ‘I want to be just like him.’ And as the year went on, every time I went down there, I just loved radiology more and more. I got to the point where I was spending more time in radiology than I was anywhere else. So, when I had an elective session, I chose radiology. That was it.” 

As her career progressed beyond medical school, Patterson began to get involved in medical organizations starting in the 1960s. Those included the ACR and the NMA, which has represented Black physicians and health professionals since 1895.

Patterson recalls a classmate introducing her to the NMA at an RSNA meeting in Chicago. She noticed there were not many women or Black people at the meeting, and she was a bit overwhelmed to be crowded around a bunch of men significantly taller than she was. But when she met with people from the NMA, she felt welcomed and like she belonged. She started attending meetings, giving lectures and joining committees within the NMA. 

Through this experience and through mentors she met in the NMA, her confidence in her ability and potential impact on the specialty grew. “I felt I could really make an impact in the whole atmosphere of Blacks in radiology,” she says. “I felt very strongly about women in the field. At that point, we were starting to get more women in medicine and in radiology. I felt we needed to work with residents, and especially women in radiology. I also wanted to make sure the patients we served were part of the whole medical community.” 

She went on to become the first woman to chair the NMA’s Section on Radiology and Radiation Oncology (NMA SRRO), which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. A peer who nominated her said Patterson ushered the NMA SRRO into the 21st century, serving as secretary and vice chair before becoming chair in 1989 to 1991. She also served on the board of trustees and the editorial board of the Journal of the National Medical Association. As an advocate, she leveraged her leadership skills to align the interests of the NMA SRRO and the ACR, laying the foundation for the synergies that exist between these two organizations today. This included opening the pipeline of NMA members advancing into ACR leadership roles and laying the groundwork for initiatives like the Radiology Health Equity Coalition to emerge.

Patterson was passionate about making sure everyone had access to breast screening care. She was concerned with the lack of minority participation in clinical trials, leading her to become the ACR Imaging Network (ACRIN) chair of the Special Population Committee from 1998 to 2020. This also led to her involvement with the NMA’s Clinical Trial Project, where she served on the Eastern Oncology Cooperative Group advisory panel. 

She describes her time with the ACR as memorable. She held numerous roles within the College such as a member of the executive committee of the Intersociety Committee from 1990 to 1991, and most notably as a Councilor from 1984 to 1991. In 1991, she and Kathleen G. Hurd, MD, FACR, became the first Black women to receive an ACR Fellowship. 

A moment that stands out to her was her role in forming the ACR’s Snowbelt Caucus, which would become one of three equal geographic groups that represent ACR members nationwide. It started over a rivalry with the “Dixie” (now Southern) Caucus, which traditionally produced more nominees and officers than other regions of the country. 

“So, we started the Snowbelt Caucus,” Patterson says. “We said, ‘Anybody from any place that gets snow, even one flake of snow, can join our caucus because we've got to counteract the Dixie Caucus.’” To Patterson’s delight, the Snowbelt Caucus still operates to this day, along with the Southern and Western caucuses. 

Patterson also had a significant impact on mammography. As a result, the NMA SRRO created the annual Elizabeth A. Patterson Breast Imaging Symposium in 2004. She served as the inaugural chair of the FDA’s National Mammography Quality Assurance Advisory Committee for the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA), helping regulate the quality of breast imaging care. 

“MQSA has had a significant impact in addressing disparities by ensuring consistent quality of mammography services regardless of the woman’s social-economic status, race, or geographic location,” Patterson says. “I am indeed privileged to have been a part of this important legislation.”

When looking at the next generation of radiologists, Patterson encourages those aspiring to make an impact in the specialty to commit to being lifelong learners, embrace technology, get involved with organizations such as the ACR, and be an advocate who speaks up for others to incite change. She also stresses the importance of radiologists helping each other succeed. 

“It's important to not only to find a mentor, but to be a mentor,” Patterson says. “Every time you go up one step, look down the ladder behind you and help that next person up. As you look up and try to follow the one above you, try to pull up the person below.

HONORARY FELLOW

Honorary ACR fellows are elected by the Board of Chancellors in recognition of preeminent contributions to the science or practice of radiology by individuals who by virtue of residence, education, profession or lack of board certification are ineligible for admission as members of the College in any category other than international.

Hiroshi Onishi, MD, PhD

“I guide young doctors not only to follow guidelines and evidence but also to always understand the feelings and values of their patients.” — Hiroshi Onishi, MD, PhD

Hiroshi Onishi, MD, PhD, is the director of the departments of radiation oncology and diagnostic radiology at the University of Yamanashi Hospital in the Japanese prefecture of Yamanashi. He also serves as the deputy dean and a professor at that university.

According to a colleague, he’s also something of a “unicorn,” someone who is not just an excellent clinician but also a visionary innovator.

In response to such praise, he is more than humble. “I’ve simply focused on addressing the concerns I encountered with each patient, advancing research and development to resolve questions,” Onishi says. “I have dedicated myself to addressing the structural shortcomings in Japan's radiation therapy. Receiving this award from the ACR feels like a dreamlike stroke of luck that resulted from those endeavors.” 

But with a career to date that spans nearly four decades, numerous awards, extensively published research, invited lectures and numerous leadership positions, his accolades appear to be a product of experience and perseverance rather than luck. And perhaps some familial nudging. Onishi’s family was influential in his path to medicine and his storied career. 

“My parents encouraging me to pursue a career in medicine and teaching me to be compassionate toward others significantly shaped my current approach as a physician,” he says. And although he is a physician, he is also an author, mentor, teacher and leader. 

As for why he chose radiation oncology over other medical specialties, he says he was “drawn to the appeal of radiation therapy for cancers throughout the body, offering a minimally invasive approach that can address everything from cure to palliative care.” And unlike other professions, radiation oncology requires direct observation and interaction with patients, an aspect of medicine that continues to be important to him. 

This year, Onishi serves as president of the annual academic conference of the Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology, and he emphasizes the importance of volunteering and giving back to his specialty.

“I have been volunteering for many years in the fields of junior education, as well as serving as a board member for the Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology and the Japan Radiological Society,” he says. And he believes that “dedicating oneself to volunteer activities is a noble endeavor, irrespective of whether one is acknowledged or appreciated by others.”

Onishi received the Yamanashi Governor Award in 2012 after developing a respiratory ventilation display monitor using no electronic devices, named “Abches.” “This has become the most widely used device for the management of respiratory organ motion in radiotherapy in Japan,” he says. This award is a Regional Invention Award given by the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation. Besides that achievement, Onishi is most proud that he has been “actively involved in activities through 30 years aimed at improving the reimbursement for radiation therapy services and have achieved successful outcomes,” he says.

His career success has been bolstered by the advice he received from an experienced radiation oncologist when he was starting out: “Radiation oncology should be a profession that requires strong ambition and determination.” It is that resoluteness that drives Onishi to ensure a solid future of radiation oncology, both overall and at his institution.

“I guide young doctors not only to follow guidelines and evidence but also to always understand the feelings and values of their patients, providing medical care that aligns accurately with those aspects,” he says. “One of the biggest challenges of my career has been to increase the number of residents in our department to be able to supply personnel to our related facilities.”

As for the advice he would impart to aspiring radiation oncologists, he says this: “Radiation therapy is a gentle form of cancer care that aligns with the patients' emotions. With advancements in treatment and imaging techniques progressing rapidly, there is anticipation for further development and widespread adoption in future cancer care in Japan, especially with the rapid aging of the population. However, the number of radiation oncologists is limited, so please do your best in this field."

ACR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The ACR Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes highly notable service to the College and the profession, or other action or achievement at the national level that reflects in a uniquely favorable manner on the ACR and radiology.

Amanda Crowell Itliong

“This courageous woman defiantly turned an ultimate death sentence fearlessly into a challenging life reward.” — Vani Vijayakumar, MD, FACR

“I want to live the best I can for as long as I can,” reads a post at the top of Amanda Crowell Itliong’s social media — a testament to a life spent lifting up others and giving voices to those who did not have one. Itliong is the first patient ever to receive an ACR Distinguished Achievement Award. 

Known for her compassion, openness and kindness, Itliong devoted her life to changing healthcare and the patient experience for the better. Although Itliong passed away on May 6, 2023, her work on the representation and experience of patients in radiology and healthcare as a whole will have a lasting impact.

Itliong forged a lifelong career of service: first in 2002 as the University of West Florida’s director of learning and volunteerism, then at the renowned Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University in 2005. From there, she joined the United Way for Southeastern Michigan as its family literacy manager, and then as the director of North Carolina State University’s Center for Student Leadership, Ethics and Public Service. 

The work was personal for Itliong, who lived with a rare form of ovarian cancer for 14 years. After gut-wrenching pain sent her to the emergency room, doctors initially diagnosed her with a twisted ovary. She was coming out of surgery, and the first words she heard after waking up were from a nurse: “I’m sorry to hear you have cancer.” 

“That was the first time she heard anything about there being cancer,” recalls her father, Michael Crowell. “And Amanda knew it shouldn’t be that way. From then on, she was a patient advocate. That was her life’s work for almost 15 years. She didn’t want anyone else to go through something like that.” 

Following her fourth cancer recurrence, she returned home to Michigan — not to rest, but to intensify her work as an advocate, activist and researcher for patients even as she was undergoing her own treatment. “Amanda wasn’t fond of fighting and battle metaphors when it came to cancer,” says her partner, Patrick Neal. “While she didn’t consider herself ‘at war,’ she did as much as any human being possibly could have to raise awareness of the disease and help find a cure and help every patient living with it in the meantime.” 

With her beloved rescue dog, Bieber, at her side, Itliong gave dozens of speeches and presentations to doctors, residents, medical students and administrators at numerous medical schools and professional associations. She was a founding member and principal researcher for BVOGUE, a collaborative team funded by the Cornell Center for Health Equity that gathered data on Black patients’ experiences with cancer and made recommendations based on that information. Itliong also received numerous awards and accolades, including the 2020 Inspiration Award from the Michigan Cancer Consortium.

Itliong profoundly touched the specialty. As a patient, she once had to pretend to be her referring physician to ask her radiologist questions. That and other frustrations with reporting led to her focus on radiology so that patients could be connected with radiologists as physicians rather than words in a report. 

“She didn’t understand why she had to go through so much just to ask her doctor [including radiologists] a question,” Crowell says. “Between that and the language being different each time she had a new report, she decided to focus on radiology because it was important for patients to connect with radiologists.” 

She served on the ACR Patient- and Family-Centered Care Commission (PFCC) Quality Experience Committee for eight years, becoming the first Patient Engagement Committee co-chair in the College’s history. Itliong also forged other paths for the ACR: She was the first and only patient to present at an ACR Grand Rounds. In 2022, she served as the first-ever patient keynote speaker at the Virginia Radiological Society, where she shared her story and how she used social media to help other patients struggling with healthcare interactions. 

“This courageous woman defiantly turned an ultimate death sentence fearlessly into a challenging life reward,” says Vani Vijayakumar, MD, FACR, chief of nuclear medicine at UMMC.

Urging doctors to “listen to patients who are actually sick,” Itliong pioneered “scanxiety,” a term that helped explain the anxiety that patients feel even when undergoing routine care and waiting for results. She recorded a podcast for the ACR Bulletin, developed patient-friendly animation videos and authored an article for Radiologyinfo.org — all in the final year of her life.  

“Amanda contributed so much to this world and gave of herself fully all the way to her final breath,” says Tessa S. Cook, MD, PhD, vice chair of the PFCC. “She is the best example of why a commission dedicated to patient- and family-centered care is both necessary and beneficial to the College.”

Itliong was also known as a painter, sculptor and mixed-media artist, often sending handmade cards to loved ones for all occasions. Perhaps most notably, she was a friend to everyone, finding connection with each person she encountered. Multiple PFCC members noted how she taught them to be compassionate and helped them understand the fears patients experience through diagnosis, imaging and treatments.

Cook says, “I learned so much from her on how to be a better doctor and a better person.” ACR PFCC staff note that Itliong will be remembered for “her humor and wit in the face of cancer, her continued work ethic, her compassion for all patients, her drive to improve healthcare and her genuine open heart. Amanda forged a path where there was none.”