How the ASNR Works for You
From ASNR President Dr. Yoshimi Anzai

ASNR works for you by ensuring your voice is represented in health policy decisions.

Each year, the ASNR sends representatives to attend several meetings with the goal of working in your best interest. These meetings include the RUC, CPT Editorial Panel, and AMA House of Delegates (HOD) meetings. Most recently, Drs. Sara Tedla and Sooyoung Martin attended the AMA HOD Interim Meeting, November 15-19, in National Harbor, MD. Drs. Tedla and Martin were accompanied and mentored during the meeting by Drs. Jackie Bello and Melissa Chen.

As ASNR continues to invest in the next generation of leaders and strengthen our connections with organizations such as the AMA, I selected Drs. Tedla and Martin as our young professional representatives that attended the AMA meeting this year. According to Drs. Tedla and Martin’s first-hand account:

The meeting was highly attended, with approximately 700 physicians as well as medical students, residents, and fellows. It was a sight to see, as physicians and trainees passionately discussed their support or opposition to resolutions, reports, and proposals, pertaining to a wide breadth of policies that impact the ever-changing landscape of medicine. 

Key issues discussed during the meeting included:

• Improving access to patient care by opposing restrictive prior authorization and components of the CMS WISeR model.

• Advocating for physician-led, team-based care to ensure patient care and safety. This is in response to Advanced Practice Providers working to increase their autonomy and scope of practice.

• As many areas in the United States are experiencing physician shortages, supporting International Medical Graduates (IMGs) — in light of recent costly and prohibitive proposed government legislation regarding H-1B visas — remains a key priority.

• Bolstering physicians’ workplace safety and well-being, including advocating for policies that address physician burnout, flexible work models, opposing restrictive noncompete clauses, promoting workplace accommodations surrounding pregnancy and caring for a sick family member.

This meeting was an eye-opening experience, which allowed an opportunity to step out of the siloed role as a radiologist at the workstation. Serving at the intersection of frontline clinical care and policy to expand access, elevate care quality, and shape best practices for physicians was immensely fulfilling. Radiology is one part of the larger scope of medicine, and it is important to have our voices heard now more than ever.

As you see, these were outstanding representatives who were working on behalf of ASNR members. We thank Drs. Bello, Farinhas, Chen, Tedla, and Martinand all of our members who work tirelessly in the health policy space. As practicing neuroradiologists, we all benefit from their dedication and expertise.

We thank all of our volunteers serving on the Health Policy Committee, the Economics Committee, the Standards and Guidelines Committee, and the Quality, Safety, Value Committee for their ongoing efforts to advocate for neuroradiology and protect the health of our patients.  The dedication of our chairs, committee members, representatives, and advisors helps advance medicine and prepares neuroradiology for the future!