RADPAC - RAN_UpdateQ223

RAN Update

Take Action Today in Campaign to Stop Impending Medicare Pay Cuts Your Fingertips

The American College of Radiology’s® (ACR®) Radiology Advocacy Network recently sent out a call-to-action urging American College of Radiology® (ACR®) members to contact their lawmakers and ask that they take immediate action to stop the 3.4% cut in Medicare payment included in the 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule (MPFS). Members already are taking action with more than 3,500 emails, 102 tweets, and 60 phone calls to Congress, but an even greater response is possible and necessary.

RADVOCACY Webinar

RADVOCATES in the House of Medicine: Insights from AMA Leaders

The RAN, in collaboration with ACR members who are active in leadership roles within the AMA, will host its next webinar on January 25, 2024, from 7 pm - 8 pm. Please mark your calendars and look for registration information in mid-December.

RADVOCATE Leader Certificate

The RAN, in collaboration with RADPAC, Economics, and State Government Relations introduces its RADVOCACY Leader Certificate (RLC). The RLC is intended for ACR members interested in strengthening their understanding and expertise in critical components of advocacy.

Program and Eligibility:

To complete the program, ACR members must earn 20 credits, within 2 years of registering for the RLC, which can be earned by completing programs and/or criteria from all aspects of Government Relations: State, RADPAC, RAN, and Economics. For information and details on eligibility and the program, please click here. You can also contact Melody Ballesteros, Assistant Director of Government Affairs.

Site Visits

Site visits allow legislators to see the impact of the legislation that passes and its effects on patients. Site visits help legislators better understand patient needs and encourage them to work more closely with physicians. It is also a great opportunity to educate them on our issues and the level of expertise radiologists bring to healthcare. The ACR’s advocacy team continues to organize site visits with Members of Congress.

Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) during a site visit with Reston Radiology.

If you are interested in hosting a site visit please contact Ted Burnes, Senior Director of RADPAC, to help with scheduling and planning.

ACR Members Make Their Voices Heard at Hill Day

More than 450 radiologists participated in the American College of Radiology® (ACR®) Hill Day on May 10, meeting with more than 250 congressional offices. The event is the College’s first in-person Hill Day since 2019, a result of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to read more.

RADVOCATE of the Year Award: Alex Podlaski, MD

Amy Patel, MD, Chair of the American College of Radiology Association® (ACRA®) Radiology Advocacy Network, presented the 2023 Howard Fleishon, MD, MMM, FACR Radiology Advocacy Network (RAN) Advocate of the Year Award to Alex Podlaski, MD, during ACR 2023, the annual meeting of the American College of Radiology® (ACR®). He has served in leadership roles for RAN and RADPAC, the College’s political action committee, since his residency.

Dr. Podlaski, an Interventional Radiology Fellow at Rush University Medical Center, has an impressive track record in recruiting residents and young physicians to support the College’s advocacy activities. In addition, he helped develop programs for a new generation of radiologists, including working with medical students to create the Pre-Radiology RAN in 2022.

Recognizing that social media and virtual advocacy play an important role in amplifying the voice of radiology, Dr. Podlaski is a leader at increasing RAN’s social media presence and championing virtual activities, including calls to action and RADVOCACY webinars.

RADVOCACY Update 2023

RAN 3.0

The Radiology Advocacy Network has tasked its Board and RAN State Leaders with a robust agenda for the year, that includes but is not limited to:

improved communication
engagement
improved resources
synergy with State and RADPAC

In order to reach the goals set forth, Dr. Patel created a new RAN Board that will improve continuity and give the committee structure. The RAN Board is comprised of the following positions and members:

Chair - Amy Patel, MD
Vice-Chair - Monica Wood, MD
Communication Officers - Natasha Monga, MD and Alex Podlaski, MD
RADPAC/YPS Liaison - Jennifer Buckley, MD
YPS Liaison - Kirang Patel, MD
RFS Advocacy Liaison - Connie Lu, MD
State GR Liaison - Tilden Childs, MD, FACR
Immediate Past RAN Chair - David Youmans, MD, FACR
State GR Chair - Bonnie Litvack, MD, FACR
Members-at-large - Sarah Avery, MD, FACR, Anand Narayan, MD, Naziya Samreen, MD, Adam Kaye, MD, Mark Yeh, MD, FACR, Loralie Ma, MD, FACR, Fatima Elahi, MD
Pre-Radiology RAN

Pre-Rad RAN Advocacy Liaisons

Victoria Dekany
Gavin Yuan

Correspondent Liaison

Maria Ticsa

Public Relations Liaison

Thomas Stirrat

Education Liaison

Halimah Hamidu-Egiebor

Radvocacy Website

The Radiology Advocacy Network (RAN) and RADPAC, the two pillars of advocacy for the college, are now accessible under one reinvented RADVOCACY website. The main goal of combining RAN and RADPAC under one website is to allow advocates access to resources, information, and alerts all in one place. This one-stop website allows advocates to learn about the many opportunities in which they can support and engage at the grassroots and grasstops levels. Some of the highlights of this new website are:

RAN & RADPAC content will be housed in the same place providing easy access to those wishing to get involved with either or both groups
All Advocacy content for Advocacy Boot Camp 101 for this year can be found on the main home page
The Radvocacy podcast can be found under the RADPAC section on the RAN menu, with no log-in required
The RAN Map will show you the number of actions taken by your state as well as contact information for your RAN Leader
All Action Alerts will be available on one page, and you can browse by state
You can view your current year-to-date RADPAC contributions on the "Contribute" page on the RADPAC menu
Most importantly, this new site connects directly to our database which will help us provide you with the most accurate reporting when it comes to state-by-state participation and avoid creating duplicate records for individuals

For more information about the RAN and getting involved in the College’s advocacy initiatives, contact Melody Ballesteros, ACR Assistant Director, Government Relations.