Power to the Radiologist: Steps Toward Ensuring the Specialty’s Future

By Cat Vasko

Radiology is at a crossroads, and the future of the profession will be determined by the decisions that radiologists make today, according to John Patti, MD, and Pat Basu, MD. In “Critical Issues Facing the Profession of Radiology: An ACR® Leadership Perspective,” which Patti copresented on November 28, 2011 at the annual meeting of the RSNA, he suggested that radiologists start by committing themselves to sacrificing some of their time and revenue to practice building, ensuring that the specialty will be a fulcrum for future payment and delivery models in health care.

Patti, who is chair of the ACR board of chancellors, says, “If you look at the way radiology has evolved, not much of any kind of sophisticated diagnosis or treatment gets done without imaging. The problem is that we have not recognized that as forcefully as we should. Medicine cannot be practiced without us, and if we realize we are in a powerful position, we can use that power to create extra, added value beyond the mere interpretation and production of a report.” >> Read More

Radiology in Uzbekistan and Beyond: Leveraging Telemedicine With MSF

By Cat Vasko

Programs like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, do invaluable work in bringing advanced medical care to developing and unstable nations. Often overlooked, however, is the role that radiology plays. As the diagnostic specialty, radiology can be critical in clinical scenarios where imaging plays an essential role, according to Saskia Spijker, radiographer with MSF International.

“Diagnostic imaging is an area within MSF that has seen significant growth in the past few years and is a core element of the diagnostic services provided by MSF in the communities where we work,” Spijker says. “Worldwide, our tuberculosis (TB)/HIV, surgical, trauma, and emergency obstetric programs use both radiography and ultrasound to assist in diagnosis and therapy for our patients.”

2012 Renews Reimbursement Focus for Radiology

By David Rosenfeld

As another congressional session progresses, lobbyists representing radiology organizations on Capitol Hill have their sights set on preventing further cuts to imaging services under Medicare, especially as debate intensifies over fixing the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula.

On February 17, Congress passed a measure freezing Medicare reimbursement at 2011 rates for the rest of 2012, preventing the 27.4% automatic SGR cut from taking effect on March 1. This 10-month reprieve was not far from the one-year extension predicted by many industry analysts, including Cynthia Moran, assistant executive director for government relations and health policy for the ACR®. Momentum for big changes to Medicare (such as permanently fixing the SGR problem) is more likely following the election in November, no matter which party ends up on top, Moran says.

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