What is the value of ABR Maintenance of Certification (MOC)? What can the world expect of an ABR-certified physician who is actively engaged in MOC that might not be expected of an uncertified physician? If these questions sound too abstract, please be assured that they are not. The unsustainable growth in U.S. healthcare expenditures (now approaching $2.4 trillion and 17% of the GDP annually) and the imminence of healthcare reform guarantee that efforts to determine the value of MOC will remain highly relevant for the foreseeable future. Read on.

The United States spends considerably more per capita on healthcare than other developed countries, yet life expectancy is lower in the U.S., and disease-specific mortality rates are higher. Excessive use of imaging procedures contributes the most by far to the upward trend in costs attributable to healthcare technologies. In fact, approximately 20 percent of the cost increase each year is related to imaging.

 

To address this critical issue, the American Board of Radiology Foundation sponsored a multidisciplinary national summit meeting, "Medical Imaging: Addressing Overutilization in the Era of Healthcare Reform," August 6-7, 2009, in Bethesda, Maryland. Read on.

"The times they are a changing" is an understatement. In the last decade there have been changes in the American Board of Radiology certification process and increases in regulatory efforts, and healthcare reform is on the horizon. In the last few months, the Senate Finance Committee has begun its work in transforming the healthcare system. Healthcare costs account for 17 percent of the gross national product. Current projections indicate that this will increase to 20 percent, or 4.3 trillion dollars, by 2017. To address this problem, multiple proposals have been suggested that impact the healthcare industry and, directly or indirectly, our specialty. Read on.

Founded in 1934, the American Board of Radiology has been celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The Anniversary Planning Committee, chaired by Valerie Jackson, MD (at left), spent a year constructing a special celebration program for Saturday, October 3, 2009, which coincided with the Board of Trustees' fall retreat. In recognition of this 75th anniversary, the ABR commissioned Otha W. Linton to write the board's history. Otha has written the histories of 10 departments of radiology and was the obvious choice for this assignment. The book has been completed and is currently being printed. Read on.