The outgoing and incoming chairs for the ACR Commission on Informatics talk leadership and collaboration to provide essential resources to ACR members.
In June 2026, Tessa S. Cook, MD, PhD, FACR, will take over for Christoph Wald, MD, PhD, MBA, FACR, as chair of the ACR Commission on Informatics. The transition comes at a critical time, as radiology continues to evolve rapidly with advances in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and interoperability. In this conversation with the Bulletin, Wald reflects on his years of leadership and the complexity of the commission’s work while Cook shares her perspective on stepping into the role.
Wald: Time has flown by. I started as vice chair on day one when we transitioned from a committee to a formal commission. It was an incredible privilege to join Keith J. Dreyer, DO, PhD, FACR, Bibb Allen Jr., MD, FACR, and Raym Geis, MD, FACR, and our lead staff Mike Tilkin, MS, and Laura Coombs, PhD, in putting together what was going to be the first-ever informatics commission for the College, starting with a totally blank slate.
Over the past 11 years, I’ve watched and helped guide it through foundational shifts — through digital transformation and the subsequent AI revolution, which benefited from the visionary establishment of the ACR Data Science Institute®. The role of chair is that of a steward for a long-range strategy that aligns with ACR’s mission to empower the radiologist of the future. The commission is tasked with championing and integrating emerging technologies while also engaging regulators, legislators and industry and fellow specialty societies. It’s a big, multistakeholder ecosystem. As chair, you need to be in dialogue with and report to the ACR board and leadership, continuously engage staff and volunteer leaders (including those from other related organizations), help manage resources, recruit talent, oversee volunteer infrastructure and ensure continuity across multiyear initiatives.
The commission is tasked with championing and integrating emerging technologies while also engaging regulators, legislators and industry and fellow specialty societies.
I am eternally grateful to the many volunteers, industry partners and staff who have so generously contributed to our success over time, trusting that working with ACR would result in meaningful progress — it has been a total team sport!
Cook: Leadership in medicine is often learned through experience, not training. I’ve had the opportunity to lead in several capacities, most recently as chair of the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine and running the imaging informatics fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania for the past decade and some, during which we have trained nearly 100 fellows. My work in practice transformation at Penn Radiology also shapes how I think about change and implementation. These experiences have taught me the importance of collaboration, of listening and of clarity in decision making — skills that will be essential as chair. I feel fortunate to be surrounded by a stellar commission and ACR informatics team.
Wald: We’ve deliberately built in a long ramp-up period. Our commission vice chair Dr. Cook has graciously been participating in our weekly operational meetings since early this year and has already taken on key efforts, such as chairing the practice parameter writing group for safe and effective AI use. While ACR terms may rotate, our projects span years. The AI practice parameter and planned accreditation program are examples of five-year efforts that cross multiple leadership terms. A successful transition isn’t about starting fresh; it’s about carrying the vision forward with new energy and perspective.
Cook: I’m grateful for the time to learn the ropes. This time gives me deep insight into how the commission operates in tandem with the Data Science Institute, which is part of the chair’s portfolio. I’m also learning how to navigate the complexity of bringing useful ACR tools to everyday radiologists. We’ve built great tools like Assess-AI and the ACR® Recognized Center for Healthcare-AI (ARCH-AI), but adoption isn’t where it should be. A top priority for me is helping radiologists see how these innovations can support their day-to-day practice.
Cook: Everyone talks about AI, but imaging informatics is broader than that. The most pressing issue right now is the mismatch between our work force and workload. AI is not replacing radiologists — it’s adding friction as we learn to integrate it. I often describe this as the “activation energy” problem: The effort it takes to adopt and trust new tools is high. We need to lower that barrier. I want to engage radiologists across different practice types to understand their needs and help them use ACR resources more effectively.
Wald: That’s exactly right. And it’s why the commission’s work is about more than just AI. We’ve expanded our focus to areas like cybersecurity, interoperability, decision support and information-blocking legislation. These are places where technology meets patient care. We’ve built infrastructure, created content, hosted summits and supported learning communities that feed into formal practice guidelines. These are complex, expensive and long-term efforts and require deliberate, stable leadership to succeed.
Cook: I’m mostly looking forward to guiding and implementing the strategy for ACR informatics over the next few years with our brilliant commission members and the ACR informatics team. It’s an exciting time to be a radiologist, as we have the opportunity to decide how AI, among other technologies, is going to change the way we practice and help us take better care of our patients. One of the strengths of ACR is that it represents the depth and breadth of our specialty and is uniquely positioned to understand the challenges across practice types and settings. That said, this is no small feat. The thing that keeps me up at night is getting it wrong. But I’d rather try and learn from our mistakes than not try at all.
Dr. Wald: I’m over the moon. Recruiting a qualified and willing successor takes years, and Dr. Cook is exactly who we hoped for. She has the domain expertise, leadership experience and energy this role demands. I’m confident the commission — and the profession — is in excellent hands.
Interviews by Raina Keefer, contributing writer, ACR Press.
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