How Consolidated is Radiology, Really?
How do we measure consolidation, and how does it impact radiology practices and the workforce? Ongoing research helps radiologists adapt for success.
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Leading Beyond the Reading Room
Radiologists and radiation oncologists develop extensive clinical expertise throughout their training and careers. But in today's healthcare environment, success increasingly depends on skills that extend beyond patient care, including leadership, communication, change management and business acumen.
As healthcare continues to evolve, physicians are being called upon to navigate complex systems, advocate for patients and lead through uncertainty. Ahead of the 2026 RLI Summit, radiation oncologists Join Y. Luh, MD, FACR, and Arthur Y. Hung, MD, FACR, join us to discuss the value of developing non-clinical skills, the leadership lessons they've learned throughout their careers and why lifelong professional development matters.
Join Luh: The practice of medicine has become too complex for clinical expertise alone to be enough. We can be excellent physicians and still struggle to lead a team, manage change or understand the financial and regulatory forces affecting patient care.
In radiation oncology, challenges such as reimbursement cuts, prior authorization, workforce shortages and access to care cannot be solved in the exam room. They require us to understand how healthcare delivery works and communicate effectively with administrators, payers and policymakers.
These aren't really "non-clinical" skills anymore. Leadership, communication and business acumen have become essential tools for advocating for patients and our profession.
Arthur Hung: Many physicians face burnout from a sense of lack of control. While one person cannot change a system and may feel helpless, we can empower ourselves by working together to influence the factors that contribute to burnout and improve our well-being, our patient care and our health outcomes.
Regardless of systemic pressures, the burden of health care outcomes falls on physicians. A surgeon who is operating with only half the staffing or tools does not get a discount or free pass on the liability if an adverse outcome arises. Physicians absolutely need to develop their non-clinical skills to advocate for our patients and themselves in our constant resource-constrained environments.
Join Luh: Involvement in organized medicine has given me opportunities to lead at the local, state and national levels, and each experience has reinforced the importance of listening and understanding the perspectives of people who may not initially agree with you. My work in areas such as payment reform, rural access and professional advocacy has also taught me that being right is not enough — you have to be able to bring people with you. I’ve also become much more interested not simply in identifying problems, but in understanding systems and finding ways to get people toward solutions.
One resource that helped shape that perspective was the RLI Taking the Lead podcast. My initial exposure to RLI was listening to those interviews. It was like having giants in our field sitting in the passenger seat of my car sharing their diverse experiences with me. Hearing the challenges they faced to get to where they are today has been intellectually and emotionally stimulating.
Arthur Hung: I took RLI's Leadership Accelerator course during a time when I was desperate for help navigating new responsibilities amid a challenging schedule. The leadership principles and practical skills I gained have enabled me to interact more productively with everyone, from senior health system leaders to the incredible staff who bring their hearts and skills to the front lines every day. Perhaps most surprisingly, viewing my role as a physician through a leadership lens has helped me practice at an even higher level. I am better able to support my patients and help both them and myself navigate increasingly complex healthcare systems.
Join Luh: Physicians are navigating rapid adoption of AI, healthcare consolidation, changing payment models, administrative burdens and workforce shortages. These issues are interconnected, and decisions made at one level of a healthcare system can have far-reaching consequences.
To lead effectively, physicians will need adaptability, business and organizational awareness, and the ability to communicate across disciplines. Healthcare isn't going back to what it was, so we need to learn how to navigate change rather than wait for it to pass.
Arthur Hung: Consolidation, payment reform, workforce shortages, declining morale and broader economic uncertainty are creating an increasingly dynamic environment. Physicians are uniquely positioned to advocate for patients, which means we need leadership and negotiation skills to navigate these challenges effectively. We cannot succeed on our own.
Join Luh: You don't have to become an administrator, and you don't have to pursue a formal leadership position. You can be a leader without being in charge. I became a leader because the problems affecting my patients and profession became bigger than what I could solve as an individual physician.
Start learning how healthcare actually works. Volunteer for a committee. Pay attention to the business side of your practice. Learn how decisions get made. Find mentors outside your clinical specialty, or even outside of medicine. Take a course, read a book on leadership, finance or negotiation, or listen to the RLI Taking the Lead podcast to learn from the experiences of other leaders.
The earlier you develop these skills, the more natural they become. Then, when an opportunity to lead comes along, you'll be prepared for it. And the reality is that leadership development never stops. I am still learning and growing in that area myself.
That's one reason I'm looking forward to the RLI Summit. I'm interested in learning how other physicians navigate complexity, build consensus and translate ideas into action. I also hope to build relationships that continue beyond the meeting, because some of the best leadership lessons come from peers who have faced similar challenges.
Arthur Hung: I was recently mountain biking with a friend who is a much better rider than I am, and he gave me a piece of advice: you want to hit the jump, not have the jump hit you.
Physicians spend years developing the clinical skills needed to care for patients, especially early in their careers. But healthcare is constantly evolving, and we also need leadership, communication and business skills to help us navigate that future and position ourselves for where we want to go professionally.
For me, that means continuing to seek opportunities to learn from others. That's what I'm most looking forward to at the RLI Summit. One of the most valuable aspects will be gaining a systems-level understanding of the forces and pressures shaping our healthcare landscape and learning how we can respond to them more effectively.
Leadership development is an ongoing process. For radiologists and radiation oncologists looking to strengthen skills in communication, change management, business acumen and physician leadership, the RLI Summit offers opportunities to learn from peers and experienced leaders across the profession.
Learn more about the 2026 RLI Summit and register to join us Oct. 16-18, 2026, in Atlanta, GA.
How Consolidated is Radiology, Really?
How do we measure consolidation, and how does it impact radiology practices and the workforce? Ongoing research helps radiologists adapt for success.
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