News & Resources

The 87th ACR Annual Meeting took place in Washington, DC from April 21-25, 2012. The meeting tone was upbeat which was a refreshing change after several years of doom and gloom. The meeting includes the business or policymaking portion where representatives (the ACR Council) vote on matters of interest to the profession. The Council, represented by 339 chapter or subspecialty society elected members, debates issues as a deliberative body much like the House of Representatives. The ACR Council considers resolutions that establish ACR policies, changes to the ACR Bylaws and collaborative practice guidelines and technical standards. The meeting also includes an advocacy component. The meeting was attended by 280 residents/fellows and 500 ACR members/staff. This year, the ACR Council debated and voted on 25 practice guidelines, 29 ten year extension of current policies and 12 socioeconomic resolutions. The Council resolutions are initially discussed in state and specialty society caucuses. Then, the refined resolutions are voted on by the Council to become official policies. The meeting culminates with a day long trip to visit the Wisconsin state Senators and House of Representatives. The meeting awarded 5 Gold Medals and 125 Fellowships. Fellowships were awarded to Wisconsinites Patrick Conway, Rad Onc from LaCrosse; Cristopher Meyer, UW Madison; Peter Selzer, Madison; Gale Sisney, UW Madison; Timothy Swan, Marshfield and Donald Yandow, Madison.

2012 – James E. Youker, MD, FACR Dr. Youker has been Chairman of the Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Radiology since 1968. Under his leadership, the Department of Radiology has become nationally recognized and Dr. Youker has achieved pre-eminent national recognition as a leader in radiological sciences. The James E. Youker Endowed Chair in Radiology is being established by the Medical College of Wisconsin to honor James E. Youker, MD, FACR.

Washington, D.C. –Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) and Ralph M. Hall (R-TX) introduced H.R. 4165 today, the CT Colonography Screening for Colorectal Cancer Act of 2012, calling on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to extend Medicare coverage to virtual colonoscopy, a minimally invasive colorectal exam using low-dose computed tomography (CT).

The State of Wisconsin reimburses providers for services provided to Medical Assistance recipients under the authority of Title XIX of the Social Security Act and ss. 49.43 to 49.47, Wisconsin Statutes. This program, administered by the State’s Department of Health Services, is called Medical Assistance (MA) or Medicaid. In addition, Wisconsin has expanded this program to create the BadgerCare and BadgerCare Plus programs under the authority of Title XIX and Title XXI of the Social Security Act and ss. 49.471, 49.665, and 49.67 of the Wisconsin Statutes.

The 3rd Annual ACR Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) poster session will be held in conjunction with the ACR’s Annual Meeting and Chapter Leadership Conference (AMCLC) in Washington D.C. this spring, April 21-25. The RFS poster session is an excellent opportunity for residents to get involved in the ACR early in their career. Getting radiologists involved early increases the chances that trainees will become active, life-long members of the ACR and their respective state chapters.

During a floor session that ran through the night, the Assembly passed AB-147 by a bipartisan vote of 62-33.

On October 31, 2011, the Wisconsin Office of Free Market Health Care submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on various proposed rules designed to implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

A group from the Wisconsin Radiological Society met with Senator Herb Kohl during the 2011 American College of Radiology Annual Meeting and Chapter Leadership Conference Day on the Hill.

UW-Madison is receiving $1.4 Million to participate in a Medicare demonstration project aimed at reducing inappropriate imaging scans on patients. UW is one of five institutions selected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to participate in the project.

Representative Erik Severson introduced Assembly Bill 147 which would prohibit an apology or action by a health care provider which expresses apology or condolence from being used as evidence in a civil case or administrative hearing against the provider.