Introducing the ACR Advocate

Message From the Executive Director

Dear Member,

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the ACR Advocate, the College's latest effort to better communicate with you on one of its most important charges: advocacy.

Our members continue to express a desire to see advocacy be the College's number one priority, and we are listening. The ACR is working harder than ever to protect and further the interests of radiology by bringing its voice not only to Congress, but also to the drug and equipment manufacturers, patient groups, insurers, other physicians and health care industry leaders who could be radiology's allies or enemies. The College's advocacy efforts also are directed at influencing key federal agencies—the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services and many others—in charge of implementing the laws Congress enacts.

In these pages, you will read more about how the College represents its members and their patients with the help of tools such as RADPAC and our newly enhanced state legislative program. If you've been wondering what the College has done for you lately on matters such as Medicare reimbursement, self-referral and coding policy, or what legislation the ACR is supporting, read on. This issue also will reveal what we're doing to turn our chapters and members into radiology's best lobbyists.

Future issues of the ACR Advocate will inform you of the creation of a major new initiative called Political Outreach and Development. As you will discover, we have extensive plans to build the gold standard for grassroots development and political communication.

While on the subject of advocacy, it seems an appropriate time to remind you that the Annual Meeting and Chapter Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, is upon us again. As they've done for several years, hundreds of your colleagues and College leaders will go to Capitol Hill to discuss the concerns and desires of the profession with legislators and key staff. This day on Capitol Hill is a major contribution to our advocacy program and will set the tone and agenda for our legislative work this year. We are tremendously appreciative of the significant effort of the councilors and board members who participate.

I hope you find the ACR Advocate a useful tool for staying in touch with the College and its work in the vital area of advocacy. You can expect the next issue to arrive in your mailbox next quarter.

Sincerely yours,
Harvey L. Neiman, MD, FACR
ACR Executive Director