ACR 2024 Advancing the Radiology Workforce

Timothy Crummy, MD, FACR, and Kurt Schoppe, MD, Council Speaker and Vice Speaker of the American College of Radiology® (ACR®) Council, contributed this piece.

The ACR Annual Meeting provides an opportunity for our 41,000 members to engage in Council business meetings and elections, as well as attend the ACR Convocation and CME programming, in addition to the comprehensive RFS, YPS and Medical Student Section sessions. During ACR 2024, we concluded our celebration of 100 years of quality, integrity, leadership and innovation while simultaneously exploring the future of our radiology workforce. 

Woojin Kim, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer of Rad AI and a musculoskeletal radiologist, led a highly engaging Moreton Lecture focused on the next frontier of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical imaging – generative AI. We explored opportunities beyond large-language models to incorporate generative AI into radiology practice while addressing potential pitfalls of the rapidly evolving technology. On-demand recordings are currently being added to the ACR website on a rolling basis, with the Moreton Lecture and other additional sessions expected to be available in the coming weeks. We plan to highlight these recordings across ACR communication channels as they become available. 

The Economics Forum examined new payment models for radiation oncology, the challenges of duplicating such models in diagnostic radiology, updates on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, and funding issues related to the radiology workforce crisis. Thanks to Gregory N. Nicola, MD, FACR; Dave Adler, MA; Lauren P. Nicola, MD, FACR; James Milburn, MD, MMM, FACR; David B. Larson, MD, MBA, FACR; and Ben Wandtke, MD, MS, for leading this critical discussion. Read a comprehensive summary of the lecture via Advocacy in Action.

Our thanks to Eric M. Rubin, MD, FACR, and Andrew K. Moriarity, MD, for leading a productive Open Microphone session that generated robust participation and informed Council leadership about member interests and priorities. The feedback will help guide Council activities throughout the year.

Additionally, the ACR Council considered 75 resolutions. These resolutions were a combination of new policies, policy renewals, bylaws amendments and Practice Parameters & Technical Standards. Two prominent policy resolutions passed include:

• The Council voted to increase active national physician member dues by $90 per year starting in 2025, with a lower increase for young physicians and medical physicists as part of a transparent, ACR-member volunteer-led reevaluation of ACR programs, services and workforce that will continue to empower the ACR “To be the voice of our members, empowering them to advance the science and practice of radiological care.”  This is the first dues increase since 2016.

• To improve access to radiologic care, the ACR Council voted to reaffirm recognition of the Registered Radiologist Assistant (RRA) as a valuable member of radiologist-led care teams. ACR was a founding organization that created the RRA profession in 2003 to meet increased patient demand and a shortage of radiologists.

The report of Final Report of Council Actions, reflecting Council action on resolutions, is available online at ACR DOCS (under Meeting Materials). 

Finally, ACR 2024 wrapped up with Capitol Hill Day, where more than 450 attendees met with over 250 Congressional offices to put #radvocacy into action. There’s no better way for radiologists to get active with advocacy for our radiology specialties than by meeting with members of Congress and their Congressional staff to discuss issues that impact our ability to provide quality patient care.

Our thanks to ACR volunteers, members and staff who made this meeting possible. We are #FocusedForwardTogether into a new era of the radiology workforce.

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