ACR News
ACR Raises $18,709 for Hurricane Katrina Victims
The ACR staff in the Reston, DC, and Philadelphia offices joined forces to raise more than $18,000 for Hurricane Katrina victims. An afternoon of fun and fundraising at the ACR's Reston and Philadelphia offices October 7 generated $7,517 in Reston and $2,652 in Philadelphia toward the total raised to benefit those affected by Katrina's devastating forces along the Gulf Coast. Total ACR (Reston, DC, and Philadelphia) contributions before the October 7 events came to $3,540, boosting the total to $13,709; with the ACR contribution match of $5,000, the grand total was an impressive $18,709.
The ACR staff raised money by selling baked goods and white elephant treasures, sponsoring an iPod nano raffle, holding silent and live auctions, participating in hallway golf and various games in a "fun room" with a live DJ, ACR State Legislative Specialist Ariel Gonzalez, karaoke, and a guess-count on items from peanuts to jelly beans.
One of the most popular events was a live auction, hosted by the ACR's "auctioneer," Public Relations Manager Shawn Farley. The top dollar live auction item was Washington Redskin tickets, going for $220; the highest silent bid item was a weekend at the Greenbriar resort in West Virginia for $475.
Health Services Fellowship Announced
The ACR announces a new fellowship for radiology residents—the ACR Health Services Research Fellowship, and its inaugural research fellow, Hanna M. Zafar, MD, who joined the Reston, Va, office September 27 for a 2-month term.
A native of Lambertville, NJ, Zafar currently is completing her residency in diagnostic radiology at the University of Pennsylvania. "I am very excited to have been chosen as the first ACR research fellow," Zafar said recently. "Eventually, I hope to combine my clinical and health policy backgrounds to improve utilization and efficacy of imaging in health care."
The ACR Health Services Research Fellowship, sponsored by the research department, provides radiology residents direct exposure to the activities of The ACR in socioeconomic and health services research.
Designed to better inform residents and fellows about the process of health services research and socioeconomic issues of importance to the practice of radiology, the fellowship also provides the resident with an opportunity to complete an original research project under the mentorship of experienced researchers in the field, leading to a first-author publication in a leading radiology journal.
The program lasts a minimum of 4 weeks; a 6- to 8-week commitment is preferable. The ACR will arrange the times of the fellowships with the fellows and their program directors to accommodate training schedules.
For more information on the ACR's Health Services Research Fellow, call Mythreyi Bhargavan, PhD, director of research at (703) 715-4394.
Katrina and Member Invoices
In response to the destruction left by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the ACR Board of Chancellors has agreed to assist members in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama in the following ways:
Automatic Waiver. Waive dues for members with addresses where no mail delivery was offered when the invoice was created.
Streamlined Waiver Application. For members who maintained mail delivery, provide a convenient way for them to apply for a dues waiver.
For more information, visit the member services section of the ACR Web site at www.acr.org.
ACR Members Repair Vice President Cheney's Aneurysm
Interventional radiologist Anthony C. Venbrux, MD, former chair of the ACR guidelines and standards committee for interventional radiology, led a multispecialty team of physicians, which included ACR Fellow Barry T. Katzen, MD, who treated Vice President Dick Cheney for a popliteal aneurysm located behind his knees.
The interventional radiologists guided a flexible, self-expanding stent through a catheter into the damaged blood vessel to block off the aneurysm and create a reinforced pathway through which blood can flow. The procedure, also called popliteal endograft placement, is typically performed while the patient is conscious, using only local anesthesia. The procedure offers less risk, less pain, and less recovery time than surgical options.
ACRIN to Launch Liver Cancer Trial
The American College of Radiology Imaging Network is pleased to announce that a multicenter clinical trial using radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to treat liver cancer was recently approved for implementation by the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program. ACRIN protocol 6673, "Multicenter Feasibility Study of Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Cirrhotic Patients," is scheduled to open in late fall 2005.
For more information, contact project manager Donna Hartfeil at (215) 717-2765 or by e-mail at dhartfeil@phila.acr.org.
Revised Appropriateness Criteria™ Now Available Online
The latest version of the ACR's highly respected Appropriateness Criteria™ is now available on the ACR Web site, providing a more significant review and revision of the criteria. The latest version features a revised format, 50 refreshed topics, and a user-friendly search engine to allow for quicker access and answers to your questions. The remaining topics are expected to be updated by the end of 2005, with future revisions released semiannually.
For more information, visit www.acr.org under the section Quality and Patient Safety.
Comments Close December 2006
ACR members can log on to the ACR Web site to review and comment on the drafts of the 2006 Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards. These drafts will be presented for adoption at the 2006 Annual Meeting and Chapter Leadership Conference next spring. In February 2006, all practice guidelines and technical standards will go back on the ACR Web site for 4 weeks. ACR members will be able to review and comment online on all the drafts. Those comments will be collated and forwarded to the assigned reference committee. Members with questions or suggestions for additional revisions may e-mail standards@acr.org.
ISR 2006 Registration Open
Early registration costs and details for the International Society of Radiology meeting September 12-16, 2006, in Cape Town, Republic of South Africa, have been announced by the national sponsor, Radiological Society of South Africa. Registration before June 30, 2006, will be $613 and after that date, the full charge will be $676 (based on an August 2005 conversion factor of 6.36R to the US dollar). Fees for residents, radiographers, and accompanying persons are $236 (before June 30) and $259 (after June 30). The sponsors suggest that hotel reservations be made through the congress headquarters to take advantage of negotiated convention rates.
The congress secretariat can be reached at Global Conferences, Box 44503, Claremont 7735, South Africa, by phone at 27 21 762 8600, by fax at 27 21 762 8606, or by e-mail at isr2006@globalconf.co.za. The congress Web site is www.isr2006.co.za.