NYSRS Winter 2022 Update

The New York State Radiological Society is always at work for our members. Most of this work is done through our many committees and sections. Our board made up of the executive committee as well as the chairs and co-chairs of these committees and sections, meets quarterly to oversee and coordinate our activities. In the spring and the fall, these board meetings are paired with our all-members meeting. The all-members meeting is an opportunity for our members to get a brief overview of issues that impact every practicing radiologist, radiation oncologist, molecular imager, and medical physicist in our state.

While our next all-members meeting will be in April, our board recently held our winter board meeting. This newsletter will focus on important updates from that meeting. I encourage everyone to read to be informed of the many issues challenges that our society is actively working on in the best interests of our patients, physicians, and practices. 

As always, the greatest impact a member can have is to get involved. I encourage anyone who is interested to reach out to discuss.

Keith Hentel, MD MS FACR
President, NYSRS
State of the State - Focus on Healthcare
In her first state of the state address, Governor Kathy Hochul presented numerous proposals related to the practice of healthcare, several of which would directly affect our practices and the patients that we care for including:

  • A goal to grow the state’s healthcare workforce by 20% over the next five years with a $10 billion dollar investment in the state’s healthcare workforce

  • A retention bonus of up to $3,000 for health and direct care workers and pursuing higher salaries throughout the healthcare workforce

  • Making it easier for doctors and nurses from other States to practice with their existing licenses in New York

  • Expanding the capacity of medical institutions so more students can train for high-demand healthcare jobs.

  • Expanding the scope of practice for existing practitioners in NYS

There is much potential in these efforts, both positive and negative, for our practices. NYSRS will continue to advocate on behalf of our patients and members making sure that our state leaders hear our voices.

For 2022-23, our board reviewed and approved our formal advocacy agenda to address the Governor's proposed programs as well as existing programs/legislation related to Liability Reform, NYS Excess Liability Program, Prior-Authorization reform, Scope of Practice changes, Surprise Billing, and Collective Negotiations.
Help us Advocate for our Patients and Practices in NYS
The non-partisan NYS PAC collects donations from individuals and practices and uses them to provide support to targeted members of our state government. This support can lead to a significant difference in having our opinions heard when legislation pertaining to our profession is being considered. Annually, members of our Board of Directors contribute, as do members from around the state. Several practices make contributions to their entire group.

This year our support is even more valuable for candidates as it is an election year.

Every dollar can make a potential impact so please consider donating via this secure link:
Congratulations to our Government Affairs Committee - ACR Grant
Under the leadership of Dr. Robert Rapoport, the NYSRS Government Affairs Committee was one of 5 state chapters to be awarded a $21,000 grant for 2022-23. The purpose of this grant is to build on the efforts of last year’s chapter grant that established the NYSRS video library.

These videos were created to emphasize the importance of our professions to patients and patient care. This award will be used to implement and evaluate social media and communication strategies to improve the visibility of our society and our efforts.
As a reminder, the short patient/public videos mentioned above are a great tool to share with our peers, patients, and communities.

Our videos can be found on the new NYSRS Youtube site at:
Learn More About Advocacy
The ACR is hosting a free webinar to help Radiologists learn more about advocacy. Our own NYS lobbyist Shauneen McNally is one of the speakers. Details below:

Learning How to Amplify Your Voice March 10, 7:00 – 9:00 pm ET

Click the link to register below:
The New Year is off to a fast start from an advocacy and public policy standpoint. Congress is back in session and forty-six state legislatures will convene in 2022. A wide range of bills introduced in state capitols directly impact radiology. The need for physician-led advocacy is paramount and as result, ACR is pleased to offer a
Virtual Advocacy Boot Camp!

This two-hour virtual webinar is tailored to physicians, and you will learn to become an effective advocate for your profession. You will hear from ACR staff, your peers, and advocacy professionals on advocacy-related topics including:

  • Basics on how to advocate for your profession and its patients
  • How to advocate for evidence-based health policies
  • How to utilize your knowledge, as a specialty physician, to craft your advocacy message

Don't miss out on a chance to hone your advocacy message, interact with your colleagues, and earn 2 CME® credits.
Engaging our Medical Physicists
Help our medical physicist's committee reach the medical physicists that we all work with who may not already participate in our society. A great way to start is to provide the following videos to the medical physicists in your practice.
2022 NYSRS Spring All Members Meeting - Save the Date
This year’s Spring All Members Meeting will be held on April 9, 2022, from 8 am – 12 pm.
While the information on the full program will be provided, this year’s meeting will have an “open-mic” session where members and experts can discuss issues that directly impact our practices.
Based on successes at the Annual ACR meeting, at our spring meeting, we hope to hold an “open mic” session to allow our members to discuss current topics important to our society and our practices. 
Help us plan this session! Which of the following topics do you most think should be included?
Surprise Billing/Price Transparency
PAMA/CMS Appropriate Use Program
Telemedicine/Teleradiology
Expert Witness Testimony
Find NYSRS on LinkedIn!
Check out our newly created LinkedIn account below!
An Invitation from our Colleagues in Florida
For anyone interested, The Florida radiological Society has invited our members to attend the Annual Meeting of the Florida Radiological Society and Florida Radiology Business Management Association on Amelia Island this upcoming July 15-17, 2022

This multiday meeting offers up to 11.5 CME and NYS members can register at Florida rates. Those interested in more information can contact Lorraine Roger [email protected]
The Pathway to Fellowship
26 of our members will receive fellowship in the ACR at the upcoming ACR Annual Meeting, a record high for any state chapter. The ACR has recently opened it's website for applications for 2023 Fellows.
Those interested can apply and find more information at:

Additional information on the process can be found in the following article from the ACR Bulletin:
Upcoming Events
RADPAC March Madness

New York State Radiological Society
All Members Meeting

American College of Radiology Annual Meeting
March 2022


April 9, 2022


April 24-28, 2022