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Glenn S. Forbes, MD
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Chairman's Update
Dear Colleagues:
Welcome to the second issue of Update. Thank you
for your interest in the ABRF and its mission to serve the public good by advancing the safe and appropriate use of medical imaging and radiation therapy.
August was a tremendously exciting and energizing month for the ABRF. As you will see in the next article, the first Summit in the series focused on Safe and Appropriate Use in Medical Imaging was held. The comments most often heard from participants praised the exceptionally broad representation of all stakeholders in medical imaging. And, they valued the very patient-centered tone of the entire meeting, kicked off by the "patient perspective" panel. The bottom line was consensus that the group should continue to work together to prepare a national strategy for safe and appropriate medical imaging for the benefit of patients.
Stay tuned, as preparations have already begun for the March 2013 Summit. A preview of our keynote speaker is included in another article in this edition.
Respectfully Yours,
Glenn S. Forbes, MD
Chairman of the Board
Jennifer L. Bosma, PhD
Executive Director
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Preliminary Report
ABR Foundation Launches National Initiative at Summit
The American Board of Radiology Foundation (ABRF) recently launched its new Safe and Appropriate Use in Medical Imaging initiative, which convenes a series of summit conferences involving representatives from the public sector, private sector, and medical profession (public-private-professional partnership) in medical imaging. The initiative was launched at the first of these summits, held August 23-24, 2012, in Bethesda, Maryland.
Medical imaging has revolutionized healthcare through its capability for noninvasive diagnosis and its enabling role in minimally invasive image-guided therapies. Countless patients have benefited from medical imaging, but its rapid expansion has raised concerns about overuse and the risks of exposing patients to the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. These concerns, combined with calls for patient-centered care, prompted the ABRF to consider how best to promote the concept of patient-centered imaging. Read more
For further information about organizations represented at the Summit, please visit the ABRF Website.
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Presentations from the August 2012 Summit
To view PDF files of presentations from the August Summit, please use the links below:
For further information regarding the recent Summit, please visit: http://www.abrfoundation.org/summits
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Use of ABRF Online Modules Tops 2,000
As of September 30, 2012, a total of 2,340 completions of the American Board of Radiology Foundation's (ABRF's) instructional modules had been logged by residents, students, diplomates, and other interested persons. This figure represents usage for the first full year.
This educational project was launched in October 2011 when the ABRF announced the availability of 10 instructional modules in ethics and professionalism. Authored by teams of diagnostic radiologists, radiation oncologists, and medical physicists, they are available free of charge online and can be accessed through the websites of the ABR Foundation (www.abrfoundation.org) and the American Board of Radiology (www.theabr.org), as well as the websites of most of the societies who have joined the ABRF in supporting this project:
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American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) -
American College of Radiology (ACR) -
American Radium Society (ARS) -
American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) -
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)
The modules are eligible for Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Self-Assessment Module (SAM) credit. As such, they can help diplomates of the ABR fulfill their Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements. Read more. |
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ABR Foundation Leadership
Glenn S. Forbes, MD Chairman of the Board Geoffrey S. Ibbott, PhD Treasurer Jennifer L. Bosma, PhD Executive Director |
Don Berwick, MD, to Speak at March 2013 Summit
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Don Berwick, MD
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Don Berwick, MD, will be the keynote speaker at the next American Board of Radiology Founda-tion Summit meeting, to be held March 7-8, 2013, in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Berwick is the United States' leading advocate for high-quality healthcare. He has just stepped down as the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). For 22 years prior, he was the founding CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a nonprofit dedicated to improving healthcare around the world. A pediatrician by background, he also has served on the faculty of the Harvard Medical School.
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ABRF Appoints First Public Board Members
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John D. Forsyth, MA
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During the past year, the ABRF Board wel-comed its first two public members: John D. Forsyth, MA, from Des Moines, Iowa, and Rebecca A. LeBuhn, MA, from Glenbrook, Nevada. Mr. Forsyth is chairman and CEO of Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shied of Iowa and CEO of its subsidiary, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Dakota.
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Rebecca A. LeBuhn, MA
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Ms. LeBuhn, a profes-sional writer, is a co-founder and chair of the Board of the Citizen Advocacy Center (CAC) and is responsible for re-search, policy, development, and publications for the CAC.
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The ABRF Summit: My Perspective
 By Matthew Starr, medical student,
St. Louis University School of Medicine
Having the opportunity to attend the ABRF's Summit
meeting this past August was a truly great experience. The meeting was held for the purpose of developing a national strategy focused on the safe and appropriate use of medical imagining. What set this meeting apart was the inclusion of patient advocates who made clear the wishes of the patients at the onset of the meeting, as well as the manufacturers who stated their continued devotion to improving imaging studies for the good of the public. The meeting stressed the importance of including all healthcare professions and stakeholders, working as an interprofessional team to improve the imaging process. Read more. |
American Board of Radiology
Foundation
5441 E. Williams Circle
Tucson, Arizona 85711-7412
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