William T. Thorwarth Jr., MD, plans to step down as CEO of the American College of Radiology next year, the professional association announced Wednesday.
ACR has hired a search firm and is now assembling a committee to pinpoint a replacement ahead of its chief’s June 30, 2024, retirement date.
During his tenure, the college has seen its membership grow nearly 17%, up to 42,000 in 2023.
“I have had the opportunity to work with multiple incredibly dedicated and visionary leaders and am proud of all that we continue to accomplish together,” Thorwarth said in a May 31 announcement.
He has piloted the college for nearly a decade, navigating it through the COVID-19 pandemic. ACR co-founded the Radiology Health Equity Coalition of 10 organizations during Thorwarth’s tenure, aimed at addressing health disparities in imaging. He also oversaw the launch of the ACR Data Science Institute, which is working with the federal government and other industry stakeholders to guide the development of AI tools.
A practicing diagnostic radiologist with Catawba Radiological Associates in Hickory, North Carolina, at the time, Thorwarth assumed the CEO role in April 2014. Prior to that, he had served as ACR president, chair of the college’s Economics Commission and member of its Board of Chancellors. The college awarded Thorwarth with its Gold Medal in 2010 and named an award after him to honor members and staff who demonstrate excellence in economics and health policy. He earned compensation of more than $1 million last year, according to federal tax records.
Thorwarth succeeded longtime ACR CEO Harvey L. Neiman, MD, who retired after more than 20 years serving the college as board chair and chief executive.
Jacqueline A. Bello, MD, chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors, said the organization already has certain traits in mind as it begins the search for a replacement.
“As we enter a new healthcare era, it is vital that the next CEO possesses the tremendous skills, abilities and experience of their illustrious predecessors,” she said in the announcement. “As we celebrate the ACR centennial, the search committee and ACR leaders will secure a new CEO with the qualities and capabilities to lead ACR into the seminal days of the next 100 years.”
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.