How State Radiology Chapters Lead the Way in Advocacy

Despite geographic isolation, the Hawaii Radiological Society (HRS) is well situated with its advocacy infrastructure. According to HRS President Ven S. Seguritan, MD, the chapter’s strength lies in its tight-knit medical community and collaborative relationships, particularly with the Hawaii Medical Association (HMA).

With fewer than 100 members, HRS faces a common challenge for small chapters: limited resources for managing a full-fledged advocacy platform. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as membership participation waned, the chapter sought new ways to maintain a strong voice at the state level. “We reached out to the HMA,” Seguritan explains. “They’re more robust and help support other medical organizations, so we asked, ‘Can you help us out?’”

The answer was yes. HRS began partnering with HMA to leverage their advocacy infrastructure, especially their use of VoterVoice, a digital grassroots advocacy tool. “It’s actually been a great help to us,” Seguritan says. “They communicate easily about new state bills — what’s coming up, what’s important. It just made sense for us as such a small group to work with HMA and use their platform to advocate for radiology.”

This collaboration not only empowers radiologists to engage more actively in the state legislative process but also elevated their visibility within the wider physician community. “We’re no longer the forgotten child,” Seguritan emphasizes. “By working with HMA, our voice gets heard. It’s not just about radiology; it’s about ensuring all physicians in the state recognize key healthcare agenda items, like lung cancer screening.”

HRS’s partnership with HMA also helps address broader systemic issues facing healthcare in the state, such as physician shortages and cost-of-living challenges. “It’s hard for us to say ‘come live in Hawaii’ when reimbursement is low and living costs are high,” Seguritan notes. “That’s why we wanted to join this advocacy platform — to push for change if we want to attract more physicians.”

Bay State Blueprint: Resident Engagement in Advocacy

During her time as president of the Massachusetts Radiological Society (MRS), Ilse Castro-Aragon, MD, FACR, emphasized an inclusive approach to advocacy by deeply integrating residents into the fabric of MRS activities.

“Residents are invited to all of the monthly meetings, and we support a number of social activities so that the residents get to know each other and then get to understand how the ACR works and what our priorities are to support ACR,” says Castro-Aragon.

MRS maintains a structured system of hospital liaisons and encourages each training program to have representation on the resident executive committee. To promote participation in advocacy events, the society covers all the registration costs for half of the attending residents, with training programs typically covering the remainder.

MRS also supports residents’ professional development through educational programming. In preparation for ACR’s annual Hill Day, the attending radiologist members of MRS worked together with trainees to build a lecture series to introduce and mentor trainees around ACR’s mission and advocacy work. Meanwhile, Neel Madan, MD, and Alyssa Simeone, MD, serving as ACR liaisons, coordinated efforts to ensure balanced representation across congressional meetings, with senior members modeling effective advocacy and residents actively participating in message delivery. These meetings were carefully planned in advance, with team-based strategies that allowed residents to gradually take on larger speaking roles.

Beacon  Hill Day and Local Advocacy

Castro-Aragon also led efforts to bring advocacy to the state level through the creation of Beacon Hill Day, modeled after ACR Hill Day. Beacon Hill, a well-known neighborhood in Boston, is home to the Massachusetts State House and the center of the legislative pulse for Massachusetts. Residents who participate in this initiative are invited to a preparatory lunch where they review the legislative agenda, travel logistics and speaking assignments.

At a recent Beacon Hill Day, Zoha Huda, MD, a resident member of MRS with an interest in breast imaging, was empowered to meet independently with her state representative after coaching. This event focused on supporting legislation to eliminate patient cost-sharing for breast cancer screening and diagnostic imaging — a bill that ultimately passed and became Massachusetts law.

“Beacon Hill Day was a great reminder that physicians and even trainees have the ability and expertise to advocate for their patients and related health reforms,” says Huda. “It may seem daunting to meet with those in powerful positions, but our experiences within our field and with our patients are incredibly valuable to share with lawmakers to provide insight into what really makes a difference for our patients and healthcare system. I left that experience feeling really motivated and excited to continue the work to engage others in advocacy and bring important matters to the forefront.”

According to Castro-Aragon, the initiative’s success was due to robust collaboration among attendings, residents and the chapter’s long-serving lobbyist, and it exemplified the MRS commitment to empowering trainees as advocacy leaders.

This collaborative, mentorship-driven model not only prepares residents for Capitol Hill Day but also ensures they feel confident and valued throughout the advocacy process. By involving trainees in strategic planning, messaging and even legislative meetings, the chapter fosters a sense of ownership and purpose. These experiences give residents a firsthand look at how advocacy translates into policy change, reinforcing the impact of their voices within both ACR and broader legislative efforts.

“Trainees are going to be the future of radiology,” says MRS President Scott F. Cameron, MD. “It’s important to seek their input and make sure their voices are heard.” Through initiatives like the educational webinar series developed by the resident and fellow section and in collaboration with attending radiologists, MRS provides a platform for trainees to engage in advocacy, policy discussions and leadership opportunities.

The growth in resident engagement is one of the most significant changes over the years at MRS. This year, MRS saw around 20 residents and fellows attend its events — a broad representation from nearly every training program in the state. According to Cameron, “The residents are talking to each other, getting excited about organized medicine and bringing more people into the fold.” 

By Raina Keefer, contributing writer, ACR Press

Your Chapter, Your Voice

Radiology faces a rapidly evolving policy landscape, including artificial intelligence regulations, reimbursement reform and scope-of-practice challenges. State chapters are uniquely positioned to drive real change through focused, relational and often under-the-radar efforts.

The work of these chapters — to evolve within and collaborate with other organizations — shows the most powerful voice isn’t always the loudest. It’s the most inclusive.