Start a Resolution: Your Ideas Fuel the College’s Mission

By Chad Hudnall, senior writer, ACR Press

Start a Resolution: Your Ideas Fuel the College’s Mission

ACR’s Annual Meeting is a radiology smorgasbord of networking, learning sessions, advocacy opportunities and catching up with colleagues. Perhaps one of the most important, and often misunderstood, components of the longstanding event is the open discussion of resolutions. Annual Meeting veterans have likely witnessed or even participated in the resolution process, but new attendees aren’t alone in their confusion over how the process works — from start to finish.

A resolution is a formal proposal submitted by ACR members, chapters, sections or individual councilors to the ACR Council for consideration as a policy, position or directive of the College. All new resolutions are introduced and considered at ACR’s Annual Meeting, and these resolutions influence policies impacting Radiology, securing funding for research, reimbursement trends, advocacy efforts by the College and revisions and updates to clinical practice parameters and ACR bylaws. While attendees’ agendas are packed at each Annual Meeting, discussion around new or revised proposals is not to be missed.

“There is a lot that goes into the development of a resolution that many of our members aren’t aware of,” says Kimberly S. Winsor, MD, co-chair of the Council Steering Committee (CSC) Communications Work Group. “The ask of a resolution should be within the purview of the ACR and generally something actionable, which also should not conflict with existing ACR policy. I think those wanting to submit quality resolutions should really think of it in terms of what the ACR can do around their topic given existing policy and the College’s representation of radiologists of all work types and backgrounds.”

The Council and the Council Steering Committee

The ACR Council is the College’s legislative body and gives members a say in shaping radiology policies. The Council extends a voice to each ACR member and governs the College through established policies for all of radiology — including radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, medical physicists and others close to the specialty.'

The Council is comprised of approximately 385 members, and for every 200 ACR members, a chapter gets one councilor. The Council of Affiliated Regional Radiation Oncology Societies has two councilors — five councilors represent the Resident and Fellow Section (RFS), two councilors serve the Young and Early Career Professional Section (YPS) and other councilors represent military services, various federal agencies and 24 other radiological societies.

Convening each year at the ACR’s Annual Meeting, the Council establishes policy based on recommendations submitted as resolutions. During the Meeting, the Council-elected Speaker and Vice Speaker preside over consideration of the items of business and resolutions as well as work to organize the meeting and maintain activities throughout the year.

The Council Steering Committee (CSC), comprised of elected and appointed members, oversees the activities of the Council and represents the Council while it is not in session. Together, with the CSC, the Council facilitates communication with ACR chapters, societies with Council representation and the ACR Board of Chancellors. Primary responsibilities of the CSC include:

• Sponsoring or submitting resolutions to the Council.
• Facilitating and encouraging the development of resolutions.
• Reviewing and making decisions on the acceptance of late resolutions, among others.

“Policy resolutions provide members an opportunity to formally suggest a statement of policy or call to action for the Council’s consideration,” says Trina Behbahani, CAE, Vice President of ACR Governance and Member Services for ACR and lead staff for the ACR Council and CSC. “This opportunity to have a grassroots impact on the national organization is what makes the ACR unique, though the process is not necessarily well-known to all members.”

There are essentially four types of resolutions — Practice Parameters & Technical Standards, bylaws amendments, policy resolutions and policy extensions, Behbahani points out. “Policy resolutions offer the broadest opportunity for ACR members to have an impact on what the College does for them and the specialty.”

Although the procedures of the Council require that resolutions be submitted 90 days prior to the Annual Meeting, authors are encouraged to work with their CSC liaison and Governance staff to vet topics and seek assistance in drafting their resolution well in advance of that deadline. “This allows ample time to review existing policy, speak with subject matter experts and develop a fiscal note — all critical steps to submitting a Council-ready resolution to be considered at the Annual Meeting,” Behbahani says.

Information, Guidance and Support

“Our group has specifically been tasked with helping members develop and submit resolutions in the hopes of making the process a smooth one,” Winsor says. “The key is getting information to those who need it. Everyone has different preferences on types of communication they want to receive — some want short videos, some want a quick read, and others are looking for more comprehensive information. It’s tricky because you must weigh the need for information against bombarding members with too many emails.”

“I think members see the resolution submission deadline and the process of considering resolutions at the Council meetings but are largely unaware of the massive amount of work that goes on behind the scenes by the CSC and ACR staff prior to the Annual Meeting,” Winsor says. The goal of the CSC is to facilitate resolution development, aiming for a “Council-ready” state so that members can consider the best-written version of the proposal.

This process is more successful and efficient when work has been completed and submitted on time and after the author has worked in tandem with the CSC. “If too many resolutions are submitted close to the deadline, this has the potential to create too much work in terms of getting everything polished and ready before bringing to the Council floor,” Winsor says.

“I do think there is some confusion over this,” Winsor says. “I submitted a resolution for the first time ahead of the 2025 ACR Annual Meeting and found the process a little confusing — even as a current CSC member who’s supposed to be in-the-know. My proposal was adopted, and as a result the Indian Health Service was granted one Councilor on the ACR Council, effective at the 2026 ACR Annual Meeting.”

A quick recap: Know when and where to submit. Review the resolution template. Work closely with a Council member or alternate well in advance of the submission deadline. Remember to submit your proposal through the online site at least 90 days before the ACR Annual Meeting. A resolution may be submitted by a Councilor or chapter or other approved sponsoring entity. Anyone may draft the resolution, but it must have one of the approved sponsors to be submitted and move forward.

 

Liaisons, Pitfalls and Tangible Policies

“As a member of the Council Steering Committee and co-chair of the Communications Workgroup, my role is to help make the resolution process more transparent, accessible and user-friendly,” says Christopher R. McAdams, MD. “Much of that work this year will focus on reframing how we communicate the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of resolutions, so members feel confident engaging early in the process.”

Ideally, members should partner closely with their Councilor or alternate early in the process, McAdams says. “Those relationships are invaluable for guidance, formatting and strategic framing — especially when aligning your proposal to the College’s existing policy framework.”

Common pitfalls include not familiarizing yourself with existing ACR or AMA policy before drafting a resolution. “Another mistake is writing an extremely specific or niche resolution that is not tailored for the College (think copy and paste),” McAdams says. Yet another is skipping early vetting with subject-matter experts and stakeholders — both allies and opponents.

Writing a resolution can seem overly procedural or intimidating, McAdams says. “We’ve found that many members aren’t sure what happens after their submission — how a resolution is reviewed by staff, considered by reference committees and debated by the Council,” he says. “Greater awareness of each of these steps builds confidence and fosters participation.”

When in need of assistance, members can always start with their Councilor or alternate, who can connect them to the right resources, McAdams says. “The ACR Speaker and Vice Speaker are the presiding officers and stewards of our deliberative body and are excellent resources,” he says. “CSC liaisons are wonderful connectors between the Council, Speakers and the College.”

CSC liaisons serve as direct connections between the CSC and chapters, commissions and specialty societies. They are often the first point of contact for members exploring an idea for a resolution, helping connect them with ACR staff, policy archives or subject-matter experts. The ACR Policy Finder page helps members explore existing ACR policy and identify gaps. “These tools help members participate confidently and see how their ideas can become lasting College policy,” McAdams says.

Creating Smart Resolutions and Even Better Discussions

“If I could modify one thing, it would be to formalize those early-stage connections for newer members of Council or first-time resolution authors — creating clearer templates, mentorship opportunities and earlier touchpoints through ACR chapters and CSC liaisons and staff,” McAdams says. “That structure lends itself to good ideas not getting lost due to process barriers, and ensures every member knows they have a team ready to support them from concept to submission (if they want it).”

The items adopted by Council reflect the will of the democratic Council, McAdams says. “The richer the discussions, especially when there are contrasting opinions, and the more homework done prior to resolution submissions, the better chance ACR Council has at understanding a potential policy and successfully adopting one that is reflective of its membership.”

“Because the resolution process is how ACR members shape the College’s direction, it is literally their bite at the apple,” McAdams says. Every major policy position—from advocacy priorities to clinical guidelines—began as a member-initiated resolution. “When members understand the process, they can translate their frontline experiences and insights into tangible policy that benefits patients and the specialty.”

Resolutions form one of the foundations of ACR’s governance. They guide not only the College’s internal policy decisions but also its clinical practice parameters, external advocacy priorities and even the positions our delegates take within the AMA. McAdams says he sees resolutions as “the bridge between member insight and national impact.”

“ACR is a member-driven organization and strives to be the voice of radiology. To do this, we need to know what our members value and what stressors they face,” Winsor says. “We are a diverse specialty, not one-size-fits-all, and need to keep abreast of issues that arise so we may address them on behalf of our members and our patients — through the resolution process and by other means.”

“In 2025 we launched an online submission site to ensure that all components of the resolution process are included and to facilitate an efficient review process,” Behbahani says. The submission site also facilitates moving the resolution through the process, from conception to consideration and ultimately to a decision by the Council, she says.

If you are interested in submitting a resolution, there are several questions you should be considering, Behbahani says. What action do you want the College to take? What should ACR’s policy be relative to your proposal? Does the resolution align with ACR’s strategic goals? “Include as many statements as necessary,” Behbahani says, “and separate the more potentially controversial parts into different paragraphs.”

Find more on ACR policies online, including ACR by-laws, policy finder, the Councilor handbook and other resources. You will find a “101” video on how to construct and submit a resolution, as well as a Resolution template, which also contains the link to submit. You may have to log in to your ACR account to access some of this material.

These Resolutions Tutorials cover online submission, how to choose a resolution topic, how to write a resolution for a member perspective, and why it’s important to remember the “pre-meeting meeting.”

For more information about the Resolution Process, contact Trina Behbahani, Vice President of ACR Governance and Member Services.