Proper supervision and interpretation of imaging exams by highly trained radiologist physicians is critical to the accurate diagnosis and treatment of disease, injury and illness.
To protect patient access to safe, high-quality care, the ACR® tracked and acted on hundreds of bills nationwide in 2020 and 2021 — including those regarding scope of practice.
The ACR works with our state chapters to advocate at the legislative, regulatory and administrative levels for clear, sensible definition of scope for allied health professionals.
The American College of Radiology Association® has established a fund to safeguard patients and patient access to radiologist expertise by fighting state and federal non-physician SOP expansion legislation.
ACRA State Scope of Practice Fund Chapter Application
To apply for the ACRA State Scope of Practice Fund Program, please follow these steps:
- Review the ACRA State Scope of Practice Fund Criteria
- Complete the State Scope of Practice Fund Program Chapter Application Form (.docx)
- Submit all applications to:
American College of Radiology Association
ACRa State Affairs
505 9th St, NW, Suite 910, Washington, DC 20004
ebrandt@acr.org
Why We Fight
Patients are best served when medical imaging is provided only under a physician's supervision and when radiologist physicians interpret medical imaging studies.
Radiologist physicians are uniquely educated, trained and qualified to practice radiology, including imaging supervision and interpretation. Non-physician providers do not have comparable training, competence or experience and should not independently supervise or interpret imaging exams.
Most radiologists undergo 10 years of comprehensive training beyond their undergraduate degree:
- Graduate from medical school.
- Serve one-year clinical internship.
- Complete four-year residency.
- Interpret tens of thousands of exams under practicing radiologist supervision.
- Train in radiation safety, anatomy, pharmacology, pathophysiology and more.
- Complete four-week (130 lecture hours) intensive radiologic pathology correlation course.
- Pass a state licensing exam.
- Complete a 1–2-year fellowship of specialized training in a radiology subspecialty.
There is no equivalency in education between a physician and a non-physician health professional, particularly regarding radiology practice and imaging supervision and interpretation.
Non-physician personnel can serve essential roles in radiology practice. However, their education and training are no substitute for the intensive and specialized training and experience of a radiologist.
Recent ACR Communications
- ACR Bulletin: ACR Chair on Scope of Practice
- Statement on AAPA Changing Professional Title to Physician Associate
- Comment Letter to the APRN Rule from Veteran’s Administration
- Comment Letter to Georgia Governor Kemp on APRN Ordering Diagnostic Studies Independently (SB 321)
- Comment Letter Opposing Interpretations of Diagnostic Studies to Utah Senate Majority Leader
- ACR Opposes Relaxed NPP Supervision in CMS COVID-19 Interim Final Rule
- ACR Submits Comments on the 2021 MPFS Proposed Rule
- ACR Expresses Concerns About Weakened Supervision Standards for NPPs
Joint Communications With Other Organizations
- Joint Sign-on Statement on Physician Associate Statement by the AAPA
- AMA HOD Resolution on Physician Associate
- Joint Letter on Expanding Scope of Practice for Non-professional Health Care Providers at the VA
- Joint Letter to CMS Urging Sunset of Scope of Practice Waivers Once the Public Health Emergency Ends
Non-ACR Resources
Track Scope of Practice Legislation
Track the progress of bills related to Scope of Practice with the map below.
Track All Legislation
This tool allows ACR members to follow the progress of bills relevant to radiology in every state. The map is searchable by state or by issue.
State Government Relations Committee
The state government relations committee meets regularly to evaluate state legislative and regulatory proposals and actions. Loralie Ma, MD, FACR, is chair of the committee. Committee members drive advocacy within their respective chapters and inform ACR advocacy in statehouses nationwide. The ACR staff collects, analyzes and disseminates resources to state chapters. Please send questions to Eugenia Brandt at ebrandt@acr.org.