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Table of Contents
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| Letter from the Editor |
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Hello everyone!
March Madness is upon us, both in basketball as well as in radiology! The radiology political action committee that serves our interests, RADPAC, is running a March Chapter Challenge. Those who give a minimum of $20 in March will each be counted in a state-by-state tally to determine a March winner among the ACR’s state chapters. A $500 cash prize goes to the state chapter with the most contributors, but most importantly your contributions help RADPAC achieve its vital work.
RADPAC is currently the tenth largest physician-related PAC, behind the associations supporting the anesthesiologists, the orthopedists, the dentists, the dermatologists, and the ophthalmologists, among others.
The more we can contribute to these efforts the more we can have our voice heard in Congress. As an example of what your ACR membership dollars achieved, the following are a few of the ACR’s recent advocacy successes.
- Extending E/M increases and averting scheduled Medicare cuts for 2022
- Helped pass Protecting Medicare & American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act
- Increases Medicare conversion factor 3% for 2022
- Pushes paygo requirements to 2023
- Suspends a 2% Medicare cut
- Combined addition of $1.2 billion to the Medicare physician fee schedule over 2021-23
Consider what percentage of your practice has Medicare as a payor, and then multiply that dollar figure by 1.03 or 1.05 as a result of the percentage points saved due to advocacy efforts — that is a huge impact to all radiologists throughout the United States, and much of that success can be attributed to the hard work of the ACR and, at the state level, the FRS. While inflation over the past few years has reached almost 20%, ACR dues have been unchanged. As such, the value for your membership has never been higher, and we hope that members have increased awareness of the legislative efforts at the state and national level being made on their behalf. If you have the opportunity to consider donating to the FRS, the ACR, and/or RADPAC, please do so and know that all of those dollars contribute directly to advocacy for our shared profession. Those donating at least $750 to RADPAC will be eligible for a ticket to the RADPAC gala at the ACR Annual Meeting in DC in May — the gala will be a Casino Night on Tuesday, May 9th. And help Florida win the March Chapter Challenge!
Thank you for your attention and all that you do for your patients and your profession!
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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 |
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We had our first successful Hybrid (virtual/in-person) 2023 FRS Winter Board Meeting on February 25, 2023. Thank you to all who attended. To further our initiative to increase engagement from early career Radiologists, we have created an Ad-Hoc Committee for Young Physicians Section which will be Chaired by Haley P. Letter, MD.
Reminder to join us at our 2023 Annual Meeting at The Ritz Carlton, Sarasota Florida.
FRS Meeting Registration
FRBMA Meeting Registration
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Chintan Desai, MD, FACR
FRS President |
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Past President
Rajendra Kedar, MD, FACR
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Radiation Oncology, Chair
Jennifer Peterson, M.D. |
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| FRBMA President’s Message |
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AI and Radiology: What does it mean to you?
The term AI (artificial intelligence) has been buzzing around radiology for decades. The concept that computer science can aid in the analysis and/or interpretation of diagnostic images by simulating a radiologist’s intelligence and logic is not new. However, the vendor race to be first or best in class with the functionality has certainly taken on a new frenzied level within the last couple of years.
I recently attended a workshop where the discussions surrounding the use of AI in radiology were debated informally amongst the attendees. The use of natural language processing in our voice recognition platforms is now widely considered standard of practice for report interpretations. Next level AI is now applying machine learning to historical reports to assist the radiologist by generating an impression based on the radiologist’s findings and his/her individual reporting styles. This form of AI is a big step in improving efficiency and removing redundancy. In addition, the value of a process by which the computer can catch errors in laterality and gender or provide prompting for the use of guideline recommendations with incidental findings is universally agreed upon.
The differences in opinion lie with the extent to which an algorithm can accurately identify diagnostic abnormalities to the same degree as a radiologist. While some still consider this more science fiction than reality, the truth is AI can certainly aid a physician by creating efficiencies and eliminating extra steps and routine tasks. Automatic image reprocessing, volumetric measurements, and comparative analyses are all ways in which a radiologist can utilize these platforms to improve accuracy of these components and hasten his/her ability to render an interpretation utilizing the information generated. Other future uses could include the pre-screening of studies to triage those with abnormal findings or serve as a double read type scenario (think mammo CAD on steroids) to provide a second look functionality.
Many companies are securing funding to support their efforts in leading the “AI race to the top” in today’s radiology arena. One of their biggest challenges is in procuring the data that is required to develop their algorithms. As the keepers of the data, health care providers are being approached constantly to partner with or provide access to data in return for reduced software pricing and even the option to earn equity in the product when complete. In considering these requests, providers are encouraged to not only consider the benefits of such an arrangement, but also the potential costs associated with providing the necessary resources and personnel to meet the requirements of the vendor. Ask your IT teams and leadership what impact the program will have and make sure you can be an active participant in the process, providing insight and guidance as you progress to ensure the end result will have the best outcome for your group.
Whether you are an embracer of the technology or a resister to change, AI is now and will be an integral part of our world and I’m excited to see how it works to transform and enhance our practices.
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Lisa Adams, CEO, MBA
President, FRBMA |
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| Legislative Update |
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The Florida Legislative Session kicks off next week on Tuesday March 7th and goes for sixty days ending on May 5th.
This year FRS President, Chintan Desai and three residents will be coming to Tallahassee to experience the pageantry and excitement of the opening week of Session.
So far, it is fairly quiet on the legislative front as bill drafting has been quite backed up with the volume of measures being filed. House and Senate leadership do not seem to have any appetite for scope expansion bills; so, hopefully it will be quiet on that front.
There has been legislation filed to eliminate the sunset provision that would remove the breast density notification from law. If the legislation passes, it would continue the provision in law. Please note if this legislation is not successful there is nothing that prohibits the notification language from continuing.
Please feel free to reach out to me via email with any questions or concerns. |
Alison Dudley, FRS Lobbyist
AlisonDudley@dudleyandassociates.com |
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| Martin Northup Resident Leadership Award |
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H. Martin Northup Resident Leadership Award – A scholarship opportunity for Florida Diagnostic Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Medical Physicist 2nd year Residents or graduate students.
Martin Northup was very committed to radiology resident education and advancement. To eternally honor and remember him, the board of the FRS Foundation has established a special award bearing his name, the “H Martin Northup Resident Leadership Award.” Each year, this award will be given to a 2nd year Florida radiology resident who will be a 3rd year at the time of the fellowship to support the cost of accommodations for attending the FRS annual summer meeting. The resident will have an officer mentor and will attend all functions including the board meeting. The goal is to develop future leaders in Radiology and develop promising residents to assume greater roles in the society, such as President of the Resident and Fellow’s Section. The award recipient will be chosen for the 2023 Annual Meeting in Sarasota, Florida, July 14-16, 2023 by the Scholarships and Grants committee based on a competitive application process.
Please check with your Program Director to be considered for this opportunity and to complete the application. Return your completed application to lroger@edusymp.com by May 15, 2023 in order to be considered for this award.
Thank you, |
Jeffrey Stone, M.D., FACR
President, FRS Educational Foundation |
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| FACR Application |
| Although there are multiple pathways to ACR Fellowship, by providing opportunities for leadership and involvement, chapters give members an opportunity for recognition as an ACR Fellow. This designation is attained by only an estimated 10 percent of radiologists that belong to the ACR and represents a significant career accomplishment. Chapters also serve as a vital link for recommendation of candidates for ACR Fellowship to the ACR Committee on Fellowship.
If you think you meet these criteria and wish to apply to become an ACR fellow with Florida chapter nomination please contact the FRS at lroger@edusymp.com. Years in training do not count as member years.
If you are applying for Fellowship, the Chapter Deadline is May 31st.
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| 2023 Annual Meeting of the FRS & FRBMA |
| Please join the Florida Radiological Society and the Florida Radiology Business Management Association for the 2023 Annual Meeting at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota, July 14-16, 2023. The meeting will focus on “Radiology: A Synergy of Technology and Patient Care” and will feature lectures by faculty who are leaders in the practice of radiology. We look Forward to seeing you in July.
FRS Meeting Registration
FRBMA Meeting Registration |
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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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| 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. Batlle, Letter, 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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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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