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Table of Contents
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| Letter from the Editor |
Welcome to a new academic year and the FRS 2022-2023 season! We hope you all had a chance to attend the 2022 FRS annual meeting at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island in northeast Florida (7/15-7/17). The program chair, Dr. Edem Chen from Orlando Health, put on an incredible conference! At the 2022 Annual Meeting (in conjunction with our partners and friends at the FRBMA), we heard from then-President Raj Kedar and FRBMA President John Detelich, our Florida legislative liaison Alison Dudley, keynote speakers giving named lectures, including Frank Lexa, Paul Chang, Ken Davis, Joe Cernigliaro, and Beverly Coleman, our ACR update speaker Jacqueline Bello, a Radiology Practices interactive session with speakers from various radiology groups throughout the state, including Timothy Sweeny, Amy Campbell, Krishna Nallamshetty, Tejal Patel, Steven Miles, and John Rees. For the first time ever, we added an FRBMA session to the diagnostic radiology program on Friday afternoon, including speakers such as Ted Burnes, James Spies, and Larry Muroff. We also had well-attended and well-received tracks for the Residents and Fellows Section as well as for the Radiation Oncology Program (Drs. Holtzman, Khan, Yeung, Waddle, and Robinson). At the Gold Medal Reception, the FRS was proud to award the 2022 FRS Gold Medal to Dr. Nick Hatton. Dr. Charles Williams, in the way that only he can, gave a rousing introduction to Dr. Hatton. The 2022 annual meeting was a great success, with record attendance, illustrating once again the strength and draw of the society and the excellence in education, networking, and camaraderie that it delivers.
We look forward to an exciting year! Our board hopes to increase membership, promote more communication between the society and its members, create an active social media presence for the society, and deliver education on a regular basis to members and trainees (above and beyond the annual meeting). We hope to ensure that the strategic vision of the FRS is sound and safeguarded for the short-term and long-term future, with financial stability, strategic alignment with partner organizations, and continuity of membership and leadership. To that end, we encourage all those who are members of the FRS to do the following if they are willing: please recruit new members from your practices, please donate if you can to either the FRS PAC Click Here or the FRS Foundation Click Here, and please get involved in the FRS, either by attending a meeting, joining a committee, or participating in the ACR Annual Meeting in April 2023 in Washington, DC. Our state chapter is one of the strongest and most engaged in the nation, and we hope to keep it that way!
The culmination of our 2022-2023 year will be our 2023 FRS Annual Meeting, to be held at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota from July 14 to July 16, 2023. Dr. James Banks from Nova Southeastern University and Adventura Hospital will be the Program Chair for the 2023 meeting, which we all greatly look forward to.
I would also like to introduce to the readership our FRS 2022-2023 Executive Board. I speak for all of us when I say that our one unswerving goal is to serve. We understand we have a broad range of diverse constituents throughout radiology and radiation oncology, and we seek to serve you all with enthusiasm, passion, and results. Please feel free to contact any of us with ideas, suggestions, constructive criticism, or anything you feel may help us in our service. Transparency and communication are important to us, and we hope to deliver excellence to our members.
Chintan Desai, MD, FACR – President
Dr. Desai is Founder/Co-Founder/Co-CEO of Multiple Healthcare Companies. Dr. Desai graduated with a special distinction from the University of Miami School of Medicine. He completed a Diagnostic Radiology Residency at the University of Tennessee, Methodist Healthcare, and a Musculoskeletal MRI training at Duke University. He is a Fellow of the American College of Radiology (ACR). He is based in Tampa, Florida. He is especially interested in AI and Machine Learning development/deployment in HealthCare to improve Patient Care and Wellness.
Laura Vallow, MD – President-Elect
Dr. Vallow is a Professor of Radiation Oncology and Department Chair at the Mayo Clinic Florida. She specializes in the treatment and research of breast cancer. She has held multiple leadership positions within Mayo Clinic and committee service in ASTRO and ABR. She has served as the Radiation Oncology Residency Program Director since 2015. She enjoys gardening, beach days and spending time with her husband and their 4 kids.
Juan Batlle, MD – Treasurer
Dr. Batlle is a private practice radiologist serving Baptist Health South Florida and Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute in Miami-Dade, where he also serves as Associate Professor for FIU College of Medicine. He has served the ACR on the Informatics Commission, the Data Science Institute, Appropriateness Criteria panels, the Education Center, and currently on the Council Steering Committee. He enjoys Ultimate frisbee, crosswords, and travel to state and national parks.
Andrew Bowman, MD PhD – Secretary
Dr. Bowman is an Associate Professor of Radiology at Mayo Clinic Florida, where he is the division chair for Hospital and Emergency Radiology. He specializes in abdominal and cardiac imaging as well as image-guided procedures. He is his department quality chair, a magnetic resonance medical director, and an associate program director for the Mayo Clinic Florida Diagnostic Radiology residency program. He has served on the FRS board since 2014 and has been a Councilor and Alternate Councilor for the ACR. He has served on committees for the ACR Annual Meetings in 2021 and 2022 and was the Program Chair for the FRS Annual Meeting in 2021.
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Andrew Bowman, MD, PhD
Secretary, FRS |
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| Meet Your 2022 – 2023 FRS Executive Committee |
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President
Chintan Desai, MD, FACR |
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President Elect
Laura Vallow, MD
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Treasurer
Juan Batlle, MD |
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Secretary,
Andrew Bowman, MD, PhD |
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| FRS President’s Message |
First and foremost, I would like to thank past years FRS and FRBMA officers for their commitment and service to the society and its members. Special thanks to Dr Raj Kedar who served as our past president for all his hard work and dedication to our society. The FRS/FRMBA had another successful annual meeting at Ritz Carlton Amelia Island, Florida. Thank you to the 2022 Program Committee Dr. Raj Kedar (2021-2022 President), Dr. Edem Chen (2022 Program Chair) and Dr. Phil Cook (Chair of the Program & Education Committee). The meeting was very informative with a range of topics including leadership, wellness, burnout, reimbursement, diagnostic and interventional radiology, including updates on upcoming legislative issues at the federal and state level. Credit goes to Lobbyist, Alison Dudley who single handedly fights for every Radiologist in Tallahassee. Please consider contributing to FRS PAC Click Here For the legislative update Click Here Thank you, Dr. Jeff Stone (Chair, FRS Education Foundation Board) for his continued commitment to get more Residents and Medical Students involved as future leaders of our specialty. This year we had record attendance by Residents/Fellows/Medical students which included the majority of residency programs in the state of Florida. We had the first ever successful FRS Educational Foundation 5K Run/Walk allowing us to raise funds for the Foundation. Please consider supporting the Foundation Click Here We continue to face threats including reimbursement cuts, scope of practice changes, no surprise billing act and so on. As your incoming President for FRS, I assure you that we will do our best to protect our interest. I thank you for letting me serve you and feel free to contact me. |
Very Respectfully,
Chintan Desai, MD, FACR
President, Florida Radiological Society |
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Past President
Rajendra Kedar, MD, FACR
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| FRBMA President’s Message |
FRS/FRBMA 2022 Convention
As incoming FRBMA President, I would like to thank all who participated in this year’s Annual Meeting of the FRS & the FRBMA in Amelia Island last month. The meeting was interactive and informative with our own Barbara Rubel and Jeff Younger as key presenters. It was encouraging to see the attendance level increasing in this quasi- post COVID environment and we will continue to explore avenues for enhancing the value of these meetings for our members.
2023 CMS Proposed Rule
On July 7th, CMS posted the proposed ruling for the 2023 Medicare Fee Schedule. In its preamble, CMS writes that this represents “…one of several proposed rules that reflect a broader Administration-wide strategy to create a more equitable health care system that results in better accessibility, quality, affordability, and innovation.”
Once again, Radiology appears to be in the crosshairs for reductions in reimbursement as the government continues to try and bolster payments to primary care physicians while remaining budget neutral in the process. The rule proposes a decrease in the Conversion Factor from $34.61 in 2022 to $33.08, which is a decrease of $1.53. The rule also reflects an expiration of the 3% increase that was granted to physicians in 2022. There is no mention of changes to the additional 2% sequestration that was fully reinstated in July 2022. The estimated impact to radiology reimbursement of these proposed changes is -3% (radiology & nuc med); -4% (IR); and -1% (rad onc). Click here for 2023 Proposed Rule Fact Sheet
AUC/CDS
As we are all aware, the AUC (Appropriate Use Criteria) Program was established to assist ordering providers in the appropriate use of advanced diagnostic imaging studies for their Medicare beneficiaries. Radiology providers are to include the results of the electronically accessed Appropriate Use scores on claim forms for CT, MR, NM and PET/CT studies. A penalty phase for not including this information on the radiology claims was to begin January 1, 2023 or January 1 following the declared end of the public health emergency (PHE). Along with the Proposed Medicare Fee schedule, CMS has posted the following notice with respect to AUC: “The payment penalty phase will not begin January 1, 2023 even if the PHE for COVID-19 ends in 2022. Until further notice, the educational and operations testing period will continue. CMS is unable to forecast when the payment penalty phase will begin.” AUC Program Link
FRBMA encourages everyone to participate in the comment period and lobbying activities surrounding the 2023 Medicare Fee Schedule Proposed Rule as our industry has already been hard hit by inflation in medical supplies, equipment and service chains. In addition, for many of us in Florida, the minimum wage increases to $15 per hour which goes into effect January 2023, is yet another expense we must manage while facing further cuts to reimbursements.
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Lisa Adams, CEO, MBA
President, FRBMA |
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| Legislative Update |
Thanks to all that attended the annual summer meeting in Amelia Island and helped support the FRS PAC. It was wonderful to see everyone.
The Primary in Florida is coming up fast with Election Day being a little more than twenty days out- August 23rd. Early voting has begun with folks mailing in ballots and folks walking into their polling places.
Friendly reminder: We have two radiologist’s spouses running for the Florida House for the first time. Karen Gonzalez Pittman in HD 65, Tampa area and Robyn Hattaway in HD 30, Space Coast/Daytona area.
Many races will be determined during this primary cycle; so, it is very important to get out and vote. Races have come down to less than twenty votes deciding the victor. In some of the Congressional races where there are many candidates, 8 and up, it really is a case of every vote counting as a small majority may be all it takes to win.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about the upcoming election. |
Wishing everyone the best,
Alison Dudley, FRS Lobbyist
AlisonDudley@dudleyandassociates.com |
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| Job Posting Opportunities |
Florida Radiological Society is pleased to introduce the opportunity for interested parties to advertise for potential jobs in our monthly FRS Ebrief bulletin.
Advertisement pricing is as follows:
Ebrief Job Posting pricing:
3 months ($100 monthly)
6 months ($90 monthly)
12 months ($80 monthly)
Please contact Lorraine Roger, our Society Administrator for further information on how to advertise in our monthly publication.
Phone: (813) 806-1070
Fax: (813) 806-1071
Email: lroger@flrad.org
We feel that this will provide a valuable service to both our members and our Florida community of Radiology.
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Available Positions
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| Become a PAC Member Today |
Attention FRBMA Members! Please support the cause. We encourage you to be PAC members and supporters; you do not have to belong to the FRS. Donations can be made online through our PAC website www.FLRADPAC.org. Thank you for your donation: Dr. Mergo
It is critical that we support both our Florida PAC and RADPAC in order to bolster our voice in Tallahassee and Washington, respectively. Please join FRS lobbyist Alison Dudley in her special appeal for all Florida radiologists to become Florida PAC members. If you would like to help FRS defend radiology against untoward legislation and introduce bills that have a positive impact on our practices, we need your financial support to re-elect our friends in the state House and Senate. The FRS can also show you simplified ways on how to sign up your radiology group. Contact Lorraine Roger or contact Alison Dudley at for more information. |
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Florida Radiological Society Gold Medal Recipient Announced |
Boyd Nicholas Hatton, M.D., was presented with the Gold Medal Award on Saturday, July 16, 2022 at the Florida Radiological Society’s Annual Meeting. Dr. Hatton was recognized for outstanding meritorious achievements that have contributed significantly to the practice of radiology in Florida. The board extends their best wishes and congratulations to Dr. Hatton on receiving the Florida Radiological Society’s highest honor.
Boyd Nicholas Hatton, M.D., grew up on a farm in the Bassfield, Mississippi community. He went on to earn his medical degrees at Spartan Health Sciences University, before completing his Intern year in Internal Medicine at Mercer University, residency in Diagnostic Radiology at Mount Sinai Medical Center Miami, and fellowships in Imaging Research at the University of Arizona, Nuclear Medicine at Emory University, and Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. Dr. Hatton is a Diagnostic Radiologist specializing in Nuclear Medicine with Radiology Associates of Daytona in Daytona Beach Florida, Director of Radiology at Kilimanjaro Mission Hospital in Kimana Kenya Africa, and an Integrative Medicine Consultant in Ormond Beach Florida. He is also a US Navy Veteran. Dr. Hatton currently serves as the Florida Radiological Society (FRS) Educational Foundation Treasurer, an FRS Board of Directors member, and served as the FRS President from 2016-2017. In addition, He is currently a Councilor for the American College of Radiology (ACR), has served on the ACR Government Relations committee, and previously served in the Florida Medical Association (FMA) House of Delegates. Over the past year, Dr. Hatton has gone on 3 medical missions to rural Kenya Africa, predominantly serving the indigenous Maasai people. He has long been a committed educator, teaching medical students, residents, and health care practitioners at home and abroad. Dr. Hatton is a published author of peer-reviewed medical articles, has presented at national and international medical conferences, was awarded educational exhibit Magna Cum Laude at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2009 annual meeting, and is an adjunct Professor of Radiology at the University of Central Florida.
The Florida Radiological Society is a chapter of the American College of Radiology. The purpose of the Chapter shall be those of the American College of Radiology, advancing the science of radiology, improving radiologic service to patients and the medical community, and studying the economics of radiology; the encouragement of improved and continuing education for radiologists; and the establishment and maintenance of high medical and ethical standards in the practice of radiology.
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Telephone (813) 806-1070 • Fax (813) 806-1071
5620 W. Sligh Avenue • Tampa, Florida 33634
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| The E-Brief is an exclusive member benefit of Florida Radiological Society, delivering monthly member, chapter and industry news. Please do not reply to this automatic e-mail. For comments or questions about the E-Brief, please contact lroger@flrad.org. |
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