Professional Associations

This page includes news coverage of medical associations and medical societies. Use these links to find focused news coverage from specific organizations: Cardiology Associations, Healthcare Associations, Radiology Associations.

District of Columbia DC congress capitol hill

American College of Radiology issues ‘call to action’ on key federal funding issue

ACR noted that Congress is returning from its August recess, with one of the “most critical” considerations pertaining to government funding for fiscal 2025. 

Time running out to comment on higher cardiac CT payments

Imaging experts have said the move could reshape the financial landscape for hospitals offering Cardiac CT services.

Video interview with ACR CEO Dana Smetherman, MD, who explains how the American College of Radiology can help radiology practices evaluate and vet AI.

ACR offers resources to achieve radiology AI best practices

Dana Smetherman, MD, CEO of the American College of Radiology, explains resources available through its Data Science Institute to evaluate and validate the quality of imaging algorithms.

Elizabeth Ann Ignacio, MD, FSIR, FACR, the chair of Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Small and Rural Practices Committee, president of the Hawaii Medical Association, and a board member of the American College of Radiology, outlines the shortage of IRs outside of major cities and ways to make these positions more attractive.

How to address the shortage of interventional radiologists

Elizabeth Ann Ignacio, MD, FSIR, FACR, chair of SIR Small and Rural Practices Committee, and an ACR board member, outlines ways to make these positions outside of major cities more attractive.

Ron Blankstein, MD, FACC, FASNC, MSCCT, FASPC, associate director, cardiovascular imaging program, director, cardiac computed tomography, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and a professor of medicine and radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains why Medicare is proposing increased coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) payments to hospitals.

Higher payments for CCTA could bring considerable change to cardiology

Ron Blankstein, MD, explains how and why Medicare is proposing an increase to hospital payments for coronary CT angiography.

Dana Smetherman, MD, ACR CEO, explains AUC may be better than prior authorizations.

ACR CEO discusses solution to fight burdensome prior authorizations in medical imaging

Dana Smetherman, MD, MBA, outlines a possible remedy for the growing number of these roadblocks in the specialty. 

CMS may double Medicare payments for cardiac CT

The agency is gathering feedback on a proposal to double the amount hospitals are paid for coronary computed tomography angiography, with the comment period ending Sept. 9.

American College of Radiology (ACR) CEO Dana H. Smetherman, MD, MPH, MBA, FACR, explains why opportunistic screening is an important AI imaging technology trend radiology practices should be paying attention.

AI opportunistic screening may have tremendous potential to help patients, ACR CEO says

American College of Radiology leader Dana Smetherman, MD, MBA, discusses the new technology trend and why radiologists should be paying attention. 

Around the web

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.

The all-in-one Omni Legend PET/CT scanner is now being manufactured in a new production facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin.