Brian S. Kuszyk, MD, FACR

The annual ACR-RBMA Practice Leadership Forum (PLF) is a think tank of physician and administrative leaders from across radiology, providing participating teams an uninterrupted opportunity to share and learn together. The 2024 PLF was held in Phoenix and co-hosted by the ACR Radiology Leadership Institute (RLI) and the Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA). Brian S. Kuszyk, MD, FACR, president of Eastern Radiologists, Inc., serving the Greenville, N.C. area, talks about the value to the practice of attending the 2024 PLF as a team. Heather Emery, CPA, MBA, Chief Operating Officer, and Leslie Mayberry, CPA, MBA, Chief Financial Officer, also contributed to this article.

How is the PLF different from other meetings and why should practice administrators and radiologists attend?

This meeting is unique in that it focuses on the operational details of managing a radiology practice in a way that is highly relevant to both physician leaders and business managers. The topics, faculty, exhibitors and networking time with co-attendees are all truly relevant to physicians and managers charged with the arduous task of managing a radiology practice during a period of new challenges and dynamic change. Specifically, we got a lot out of the sessions “How Capitol Hill Impacts Your Practice” and “XY and Z – Challenges and Opportunities in Aligning Generational Work Expectations.” Both were very well-presented, educational and thought provoking for current leaders. The unique setting fosters a retreat element to the experience — away from daily demands and with time for team building, reflection and strategic discussions.

Attending the ACR-RBMA Practice Leadership Forum as a team offers a broader perspective of how the physician and practice manager roles intertwine to shape the success of a practice while also allowing immediate communication between physicians and administrators relating the content to current and potential future practice issues.

Why is it particularly valuable to attend as an administrative-physician leader team?

In the past, I have attended ACR’s annual meetings in Washington D.C., and our CFO and COO attended the RBMA Paradigm Annual Meetings. These are both essential radiology meetings — the challenge is effectively communicating the extensive and often critical content to the other team members and applying the new information to your practice upon returning to a backlog of daily work. Attending the ACR-RBMA Practice Leadership Forum as a team offers a broader perspective of how the physician and practice manager roles intertwine to shape the success of a practice while also allowing immediate communication between physicians and administrators relating the content to current and potential future practice issues. It also fosters conversations with other practices that have implemented effective strategies and changes dealing with issues facing many radiology practices. 

What challenge or obstacle were you able to successfully address by attending the PLF?

The current mismatch between the number of available radiologists and rapidly increasing imaging volumes is a problem nearly every practice in the country is facing. Radiologist recruitment, onboarding and retention were discussed in multiple sessions, and we were able to compare our experiences to those of the presenters in real time and discuss opportunities for improvement within our practice while the content was fresh in our minds. We revamped our onboarding process because of these discussions and in conjunction with feedback from our radiologists and recent hires.

Why should a practice send a team (physician and administrative leaders) to a meeting when there is a shortage of workers compounding daily operational challenges?

The relevance of meeting content to both physician leaders and professional administrators is unmatched. The PLF is conducted over a weekend, which limits loss of billable work for radiologists and minimizes administrators’ time away from the office and associated operational disruptions. The most pressing issues practices are facing are common across practices. Hearing the experiences of others in this workshop-like setting helps streamline practical solutions that strengthen a radiology practice and allow it to thrive in challenging times. The conference creates an environment that fosters valuable connections that easily outweigh the cost of attendance or loss of billable hours. You’re paying not just for the opportunity to meet others, but for a well-organized, high-quality experience that brings together the right people in the right setting with the right tools to facilitate meaningful interactions.

In addition, there are opportunities for continuing educational credits that can be challenging to obtain while leading a practice amidst constant interruptions. Another benefit of attending the PLF as a team is the chance to spend time together in a non-work setting. This helps build trust and a stronger working relationship, which can translate into better teamwork and collaboration back in the practice. Time away from the usual work environment allows both the physician and practice administrator to recharge and return to work with renewed energy and motivation.

What would you say to practice leaders who have not attended a PLF? 

Attending the ACR-RBMA Practice Leadership Forum as a team was a transformative experience. It deepened our understanding of each other’s roles and highlighted the power of partnership in leading a successful radiology practice. The insights we gained and the strategies we developed will undoubtedly shape the future of our practice, ensuring that we continue to provide exceptional care to our patients while navigating the complexities of the healthcare landscape. The experience was a powerful reminder that when clinical and administrative leaders come together, the whole truly becomes greater than the sum of its parts.