Dear Colleagues and Friends,
It’s an exciting time to be a radiologist! We had a delegation of 25 attend the 2017 ACR Annual Meeting and Capitol Hill Day in Washington D.C. in late May.
At the ACR meeting, much of the emphasis was on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in future of radiology. While I don’t think AI will replace radiologists in the near future, it’s clear that it has the potential to revolutionize our field. The ACR has created a new ACR Data Science Institute (DSI) to work with government, industry and others to guide and facilitate the appropriate development and implementation of AI tools to help radiologists improve medical imaging care. It’s important that we continue to develop deep learning programs in order to enhance our profession and work.
Capitol Hill Day was quite a success, as we met with Senator Maria Cantwell, members of Congress Derek Kilmer, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Denny Heck, Jaime Herrera Beutler and key healthcare policy staff members of members of Congress Pramila Jayapal, Adam Smith, Rick Larsen and Senator Patty Murray. We held discussions around CT colonography screening, maintaining coverage of preventive services, and preserving the current NIH budget.
WSRS also held a successful inaugural Annual Women Radiologists’ Brunch on June 4th at Salty’s on Alki. Thirty individuals attended and we received strong feedback on the event. It was a fantastic opportunity to network across the community.
Finally, thank you to those of you who filled out our membership survey, as we take your feedback seriously. The number one ask was for more networking activities, similar to the women’s brunch. The WSRS plans on hosting a variety of networking activities throughout the state, including in Eastern Washington (Spokane) and Southwestern Washington (Vancouver). Given that these are border cities, we will be reaching out to both the Idaho Radiological Society and Oregon Radiological Society to potentially hold a joint networking event. Please keep an eye out for future details.
Thank you again for being a member of the WSRS and ACR. Your dues truly do make a difference as they provide us with the ability to advocate on your behalf. Have a wonderful summer!
Warmest regards,
Pooja Voria, MD, MBA, President, WSRS, 2016-2018