The 2026 cohort of the Philips Emerging Leaders RLI Scholarship builds on the success of its first year to prepare young leaders for the next generation of healthcare.
Healthcare as we know it is changing — rapidly. The onset of technologies like AI, challenges such as burnout and staffing shortages and the growing demand for access are all shaping increasingly complex healthcare systems that physician leaders must navigate. It’s a lot for anyone to handle, and emerging leaders must be prepared for the journey.
That’s one of the reasons behind the Philips Emerging Leaders RLI Scholarship program, a partnership between the Radiology Leadership Institute® (RLI) and Philips Healthcare. The program began with its first cohort in 2025 and is continuing with a new cohort in 2026. Ten scholarships are awarded to residents and fellows who have demonstrated a strong interest in leadership and commitment to shaping the future of radiology. Recipients receive a full scholarship to attend the RLI Summit, an array of other RLI programs, and entry into a Philips-led cohort-based executive mentorship program.
“Future leaders need a broader skill set than previous generations may have required. We want to prepare participants for that reality, which means creating opportunities to discuss real-world challenges openly, exposing them to different perspectives across healthcare and industry, and helping them build the confidence and adaptability required to lead in uncertain and rapidly evolving environments,” says Martijn van Steennis, global chief medical officer for diagnostic imaging at Philips.
Future leaders need a broader skill set than previous generations may have required. We want to prepare participants for that reality.
The Philips Emerging Leaders RLI Scholarship program is a unique experience in that it’s a strategic partnership between the College and an industry partner — one of the first of its kind. Richard Duszak, MD, FACR, professor emeritus at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and chair of the ACR Commission on Leadership and Practice Development, says, “The specialty of radiology only moves meaningfully forward when our physicians, our industry partners, and our professional societies are all aligned.”
“This whole program demonstrates how important it is and how aligned the ACR and Philips are in investing in people and helping to create the leaders of the future,” says ACR CEO Dana H. Smetherman, MD, MPH, MBA, FACR. Adds van Steennis, “It reflects our shared belief that developing future leaders requires more than technical expertise alone. It requires mentorship, exposure to diverse perspectives, and opportunities to engage with the broader challenges facing healthcare today.”
That’s one of the reasons that Danika Baskar, MD, applied for the 2026 cohort. She says, “I envision the role of industry partners evolving into deeply integrated allies in physician education, healthcare operations, and advocacy. As the future thought leaders in radiology become more systems-minded, these direct collaborations allow us to drive innovation forward and provide excellent patient care while also creating a high performing and sustainable practice environment.”
Another thing that makes this program unique is that it combines a cohort of peers who go through this shared experience together with longitudinal mentoring relationships, says Smetherman.
One of the core tenets of the Philips Emerging Leaders RLI Scholarship program was fostering connections between the participants and mentors. One of the most prominent marks of success is how many individuals in the first cohort continue to participate and interact with the program, even though the formal sessions have ended, says van Steennis. “We’re seeing participants staying engaged with ongoing mentorship conversations and continued networking with Philips leaders,” he notes. “We’ve also seen engagement in major conferences and professional meetings. In some cases, participants have expressed interest in learning more about areas such as research and development, clinical innovation pathways, and how healthcare technologies move from concept to real-world implementation, creating opportunities for broader dialogue beyond the original scope of the program,” says van Steennis.
Another unique way that the program connects participants and leaders is through the RLI Summit, says Smetherman. During the Summit, participants worked through two sets of case studies based on how to have influence and being able to advocate for yourself, your department, and radiology in general, she notes. “These discussions also put people in the hot seat a little bit, but that’s what leadership is — sometimes you have to get comfortable with being a little uncomfortable,” Smetherman says.
The future looks bright for the next iteration of the cohort, set to begin work soon. Participants have already had their introductory meeting with leaders from Philips and the ACR and had the chance to meet each other virtually, notes Baskar.
“Continuing the partnership felt like a natural next step,” says van Steennis. He is excited about the changes for the 2026 cohort: “We want to further increase interactivity and practical leadership application. We’re looking at ways to create even more opportunities for networking, mentorship, and collaborative problem solving around real healthcare challenges. Leadership can sometimes feel isolating, especially early on, and programs like this create a supportive community of peers and future collaborators,” he says. There will also be more content. “The first group indicated that they’d like to understand more about research and development — how a product transforms from an idea to market, so we’re also adding more there,” van Steennis adds.
Smetherman is excited for the participants’ future, noting that this program could create a lot of new opportunities for them. “We could even have some of these individuals wind up being leaders of industry. I’d love to see them become leaders in every aspect of our profession, from teachers to advocates to economics experts and those working alongside our industry partners,” she says.
Duszak hopes that the continued success of the program births more like it. “It’s going to take a while to get the downstream data or any kind of measurable success metrics — seeing participants become more engaged and more successful — but we know that they’re there, especially given how engaged the 2025 participants remain and how many incredibly qualified applicants applied for the 2026 cohort,” he says. “I really hope this program serves as an exemplar of why industry and professional organizations should align, and that we keep growing bigger and better, finding similar partnerships to offer real return on investment to young physicians as well as grant them the ability to have real impact at scale.”
By Meghan Edwards, freelance writer, ACR Bulletin.
Join radiologists from across the country Oct. 16–18 in Atlanta for the 2026 RLI Summit. Through interactive case studies, expert faculty and peer collaboration, you'll gain practical strategies to navigate complexity, lead change and drive meaningful impact in your practice.
Take your next stepThe Radiology Leadership Institute® (RLI) offers leadership and professional development opportunities for radiologists at every career stage, from residents and fellows to established practice leaders.
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