ACR 2016 Program Delivers Skills Needed for Value-based Health Care
Washington, DC — The just-released ACR 2016 — The Crossroads of Radiology® program schedule delivers skill-building sessions that empower radiology professionals to deliver and document valued-based care. The American College of Radiology’s second annual all-member meeting will be held May 15–19 in Washington, DC. Early-bird registration has been extended until Jan. 15.
“Today’s radiology professionals have to adapt their skills and methods to new health care delivery models and better understand the patient experience. The diverse, flexible ACR 2016 program provides practical knowl...
Source: American College of Radiology - January 4, 2016 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
2016 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule Comment Letter
On December 23, the ACR submitted a comment letter to CMS regarding the 2016 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule.
Read the letter » (Source: American College of Radiology)
Source: American College of Radiology - December 28, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
MPPR Rollback and Mammography Protections in Consolidated Appropriations Act: A Victory for Patients and Providers
The American College of Radiology (ACR) applauds Congress for including access to imaging care protections for the most sick and injured of Medicare beneficiaries and women seeking mammograms in the Consolidated Appropriations Act. The legislation was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President today (Dec. 18).
“The ACR, its member physicians, patients and others have worked with Congress to improve and safeguard patient access to vital imaging care through the protections in this bill. The access to care that these steps will allow can literally mean the difference between life and death for many Americ...
Source: American College of Radiology - December 18, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
Neiman Institute Launches Claims-Based Imaging Health Services Research Tool
Washington, DC — A new free resource allows researchers to use Medicare and other payer claims databases to identify and meaningfully characterize medical imaging by noninvasive or invasive procedures, modality, body region and clinical focus. Developed by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute(TM), the Neiman Imaging Types of Service (NITOS) coding platform is an open source classification system, allowing users to readily extract utilization and cost data to examine the role and value of medical imaging.
“As medical imaging becomes increasingly subspecialized, a robust, openly available clas...
Source: American College of Radiology - December 16, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
Neiman Health Policy Institute Paper Earns Prestigious Women’s Health Issues Award
Washington, DC – A Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute (HPI) study has earned the Charles E. Gibbs Leadership Prize for the best paper published in Women's Health Issues in 2015. “Screening Mammography Rates in the Medicare Population before and after the 2009 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Guideline Change: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis,” authored by Miao Jiang, PhD, and coauthored by Danny R. Hughes, PhD, and Richard Duszak, MD, FACR, is the first HPI paper to win this prestigious award.
The Charles E. Gibbs Leadership Prize is awarded annually to recognize excellence in research on wo...
Source: American College of Radiology - December 15, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
New R-SCAN Website Offers Resources, Supports Radiologists Transitioning to Value-based Payment Models
Reston, VA — The Radiology Support, Communication and Alignment NetworkTM (R-SCAN) new website presents an excellent opportunity to support health care providers in transitioning to value-based payment models. The R-SCAN portal (rscan.org) provides resources to connect radiologists and referring clinicians, focus conversations on imaging appropriateness, get familiar with clinical decision support and document improvements over time.
“R-SCAN assists radiologists in demonstrating the value they bring to patient care, a major focus of Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act’s (MACRA’s) valu...
Source: American College of Radiology - December 9, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
FDA Warns Facilities to Retain Mammograms in PACS
The FDA recently reminded facilities that the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) requires them to maintain mammography images for a set length of time.
Any facility that fails to maintain mammograms for the length of time specified by MQSA (for any reason except natural disasters) is technically in violation of the law.
If a PACS fails and images are lost due to preventable reasons, the FDA warns that it may take compliance action against that facility.
Click here for more information. (Source: American College of Radiology)
Source: American College of Radiology - December 9, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
December JACR Highlights Value of Radiology in Health Care System
Reston, VA — The December Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR®) ends the year with articles concentrating on radiology’s value in the health care system.
Below is a list of select articles that have not been previously released online.
Trends in Use of Percutaneous Versus Open Surgical Drainage of Abdominal Abscesses: David C. Levin, MD; David Eschelman, MD; Laurence Parker, PhD; and Vijay M. Rao, MD. The vast majority of abdominal abscesses are now drained using the percutaneous approach rather than the open surgical approach. Replacing a surgical procedure with a percutaneous intervention...
Source: American College of Radiology - December 1, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
JACR: Nonradiologists Shape Debate on Appropriateness, Reimbursement for Medical Imaging
Reston, VA — Health services and policy researchers are shaping today’s debate over appropriateness of imaging care and reimbursement models for imaging services. The Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR), in collaboration with the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute, explores their impact on radiology in a December special issue, offering original articles from nonradiologists and nonphysicians.
“Data generators are mostly health economists and health services researchers. Visionary physicians understand the need to familiarize themselves with this literature,” note guest edito...
Source: American College of Radiology - November 30, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
FDA Says Mammography Facilities No Longer Required to Have Film Printers
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the option to maintain a printer and/or the ability to print hard-copy images is a decision left to each individual mammography facility. (Source: American College of Radiology)
Source: American College of Radiology - November 20, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
Radiology Leadership Institute® Issues Call for 2016 Leadership Luminary Award Nominations
Reston, VA — Nominations are being accepted for the 2016 Leadership Luminary Award, an annual program of the Radiology Leadership Institute® (RLI). This honorary designation is given annually to professionals who possess exceptional experience and have demonstrated an unusually high level of leadership in organized radiology or organized medicine.
“The Leadership Luminary Award celebrates the lifetime achievements of individuals who have devoted their professional careers to the advancement of the science or practice of radiology or radiation oncology,” said Frank J. Lexa, MD, MBA, RLI chief medical...
Source: American College of Radiology - November 18, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
RLI Awards First Certificate of Leadership Mastery
Ian Weissman, DO
Certificate of Leadership Mastery™ Recipient
Photo Courtesy: Amanda Urrea
Ian Weissman, DO, is the first Radiology Leadership Institute® (RLI) participant to complete all four levels of the RLI program and earn a Certificate of Leadership Mastery™. Weissman completed the RLI program, including a practicum, in less than two years through a series of live meetings, webinars and online courses.
“Ac...
Source: American College of Radiology - November 18, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
RLI Now Accepting Scholarship Applications for 2015 Leadership Summit
Radiology residents and fellows who want to advance their careers with the help of the innovative training the Radiology Leadership Institute® (RLI) offers can now apply for one of five scholarships to attend the 2015 RLI Leadership Summit. The Summit will be held Aug. 6–9 at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass.
The four-day summit, titled Thriving in Changing Times, will include an all-new program to help radiologists learn the skills necessary to understand the new business of health care and how to best adapt and capitalize on these changes. Guided by experts and fueled by facilitators, the summit offers unique...
Source: American College of Radiology - November 18, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
Medicare CT Lung Cancer Screening Coverage A Victory for Patients
Washington, DC (Feb. 5, 2015) – Medicare’s final decision to cover low-dose computed tomography (CT) lung cancer screening gives seniors at high-risk for the disease access to care that can save more lives than any cancer screening test in history.
“Medicare got this right. Screening coverage will help save thousands of seniors each year from the nation’s leading cancer killer. Screening programs can also help lower smoking rates. The process may even lead to better understanding of addiction as well as lung cancer in those who have never smoked,” said Laurie Fenton Ambrose, president and c...
Source: American College of Radiology - November 18, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
FDA Approves the ACR to Accredit iCRco CR Full-Field Digital Systems
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the American College of Radiology (ACR) to accredit the iCRco full field digital mammography (FFDM) systems beginning February 3, 2015.
The following systems must be accredited:
Agfa Computed Radiography
Carestream DirectView (computed radiography)
Fischer Senoscan
Fuji FCRm, Aspire CR (computed radiography)
Fuji Aspire HD (FDR), Aspire HD Plus, Aspire HD-S
General Electric Senographe 2000D, DS, Essential, Senographe Care
Giotto 3D – 3DL
iCRco CR
Konica Minolta Xpress (computed radiography)
Lorad Selenia, Selenia S...
Source: American College of Radiology - November 18, 2015 Category: Radiology Source Type: news
