Radiologists are launching a new political fund aimed at stopping nonphysicians from expanding their scope of practice.
The American College of Radiology Association is providing the initial $225,000 with the goal of safeguarding patients’ access to physician-led care. Leaders are concerned provider societies representing nurse practitioners, physician assistants and others are attempting to gain the right to practice independently.
“The ACR is committed to protecting the quality of radiological care through aggressive advocacy in support of physician-led healthcare — specifically the radiologist-led imaging team,” Board of Chancellors Chair Howard Fleishon, MD, said in a statement. “This fund is an important commitment to help us in this fight.”
Earlier this month, the ACR rolled out new online resources to help rads track local bills related to scope of practice and stay involved in opposing new legislation. The college said these efforts frequently occur at the state level and highlighted several recent instances. The Rhode Island Senate on June 30 advanced legislation to expand physical therapists’ powers, while a day earlier, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation expanding PA’s abilities. At the national level, several doc groups have voiced opposition to physician assistants’ plan to rebrand as “associates.”
ACR said nonphysician professional societies have “ramped up” their fight to gain independence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those involved with the new Scope-of-Practice Fund believe these efforts “must be countered,” the college said July 14.
“PAs and NPs do not have comparable training, competence or experience. They should not independently supervise or interpret imaging exams,” Fleishon added.
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.