Please take a moment to review recent news and updates from the CRS.

This issue includes updates from the President-elect, Government Affairs Committee, a CME opportunity and much more!

The CRS and ACR have a principal role in advocating for the interests of Radiology-diagnostic, interventional radiology, radiation oncology, nuclear medicine and medical physics - in state and federal legislative bodies. The ACR has an additional fundamental role in defining the policies which inform our legislative advocacy and establishing practice parameters and standards. Each May, hundreds of radiologists from around the country gather in Washington, D.C. for the Annual ACR Meeting during which those policies and parameters are established. 

Your CRS, the largest of the state component societies in ACR, has a diverse slate of councilors and alternate councilors serving as your representatives to the policy-making body, the Council. Academic and private practices, urban and rural, small and large groups along with government-employed Radiologists are all represented. There’s a very good likelihood you may know one or more of the CRS Councilors, and not even realize they donate their time and pay for their own expenses to represent California during the annual meeting, as well as state chapter meetings throughout the year. 

Representing the Council outside of the annual meeting is the Council Steering Committee, with outstanding California leadership provided by Nancy Ellerbroek and Ashley Prosper.

It is also worth noting that California has an influential presence on the ACR Board of Chancellors, the executive body of physician leaders from across the country, which implements the policies established by the Council. Mark Alson, John Jordan, David Larson, Johnson Lightfoote, and Join Luh are currently members of the Board.

While California is fortunate to have such dedicated physician leaders, there is always the need for new representation and involvement by YOU in the policy and political process, whether it is at the local, state or national level. Contact your councilor, CRS officers or our Executive Director, Kate Peyser, to learn more about how YOU can help to shape the future of radiology.

One more note: at the end of the annual meeting, our current CRS President, Jason Cord, will become the immediate past-president and I, John Go, Iris Gibbs and Steve Wang will be assuming our new leadership roles for 2025-26. Great thanks to Jason for his pragmatic leadership in helping to steer CRS as it navigates the post-Covid world.

Of the nearly 2,600 bills introduced this 2025-26 Legislative session, the Government Affairs Committee of the California Radiological Society sorted through them all and identified those bills most relevant to health care regulation, patient access, and provider oversight, and ultimately voted to take official positions on 13 of them. 

With the goal of advancing and protecting radiology and the house of medicine, CRS will be supporting a variety of bills that include efforts to regulate AI in health care to prevent deceptive practices, ensure timely review of denied care appeals, expand access to medical services in rural areas, and enhance Medi-Cal funding for graduate medical education.

CRS will also back measures that streamline certification requirements for health professionals and improve the validity of prior authorization approvals. However, the committee also reviewed several threatening measures and voted to oppose proposals that expand recoverable damages in civil cases, broaden the scope of practice for nurse anesthetists, expand hospital medical staff eligibility to non-physician practitioners, and impose burdensome regulations on AI decision-making systems.

In addition to these bills, CRS will be sponsoring its own measure, AB 460 by Assemblymember Chen, that will modernize California’s supervision requirements for radiologic technologists by allowing real-time remote oversight by a radiologist via audio or video communication. This change aligns state law with federal CMS policy, which permits virtual supervision for contrast administration in medical imaging. By eliminating the requirement for on-site radiologists, AB 460 improves access to imaging services, particularly in rural and underserved areas, reduces wait times, and alleviates strain on radiology departments.

Legislative policy committee hearings have already begun, and CRS will continue to engage with policymakers to advocate for policies that protect patient care, uphold professional standards, and ensure access to high-quality radiological services.

At stake is a chance for the CRS to win $500 from RADPAC which will be set aside for the benefit of the Residents and Fellows Section. Please donate during the month of March and your donation will score a point for our Chapter. Even if you have given already this year, please give in March as ONLY MARCH DONATIONS count. 

Things you need to know:

• The campaign will run March 1, 2025 - March 31, 2025.
• Each RADPAC contributor during the duration of the campaign will earn 1 point towards their state's radiological society.
• Each contributor will only be counted once, no matter how many times or how much they contribute.
• The minimum contribution amount is $25.
• No previously set up monthly recurring contributions will count for the campaign.
• States are broken into brackets based on chapter size. The top chapters will advance through the rounds and winners will be updated on the website.
• The division winners will each receive a $500 donation from RADPAC.

Date & Time

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

6:30 to 7:30 PM Pacific

Speaker

Ana M. Franceschi, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Radiology Director of Dementia Imaging Director of Molecular Neuroimaging Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, New 

Description

"Improving the Recognition and Management of Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities (ARIA) in Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment: Practical Tools & Strategies for Radiology & Neuroradiology Specialists."

Physicians

PVI, PeerView Institute for Medical Education, designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.