At its March meeting, the RSNA Board of Directors interviewed candidates for RSNA executive director, made important changes to the Society's strategic plan and continued preparations for RSNA 2009. The Board also met with chairs and vice-chairs of RSNA committees and the editors of Radiology and RadioGraphics to discuss future plans for the Society.

Watson is New Executive Director

Mark G. Watson became the new RSNA executive director on April 1. Watson has served RSNA in a variety of capacities for almost 20 years, including interim executive director since September 2008. Since 1994, Watson was the assistant executive director for finance and administration. In naming Watson as executive director, the Board recognized not only his history of distinguished service with RSNA but also his ability to provide the good counsel and effective leadership needed to realize the promise of RSNA's future. Watson was selected after a thorough search and from a field of candidates reviewed by an international search firm, five-member Executive Director Search Committee and the Board.

Strategic Plan Sets Sights on Radiology's Future

The Board approved a 2009–2012 strategic plan for the Society. Most significant was the addition of a new goal—to shape and advance the future of radiology. This new goal encompasses a variety of activities:

• Convening radiology thought leaders to articulate a vision for the future of the specialty

• Increasing awareness and stimulating the pursuit of cutting-edge developments and research opportunities vital to radiology's future

• Preparing professionals in the radiologic sciences for an increasingly quantitative future

• Advancing the frontiers of radiology informatics

RSNA's efforts to transform radiology to a quantitative science included a biomarker roundtable held in mid-March in Chicago.

RSNA 2009 Plans Continue

Henry P. Pendergrass, M.D.
1978 RSNA President

Hillier L. Baker Jr., M.D.
1980 RSNA President

Planning is well under way for RSNA 2009, centering on the theme Quality Counts. This year's New Horizons Lecture will focus on extracting quantitative information from MR, while the Annual Oration in Diagnostic Radiology will explore quantitative imaging and reporting. The Annual Oration in Radiation Oncology will focus on radiation therapy in breast tumors and the RSNA/AAPM Symposium will be "Advances in Quantitative Imaging: Linking the Phenome to the Genome."

A mock jury trial will be presented on Sunday afternoon during RSNA 2009. Participants include the Honorable Stuart Nudelman as the judge, Tim Nickels, J.D., as the defense attorney, Thomas Demetrio, J.D., as the plaintiff's attorney, and Jonathan Berlin, M.D., as the defendant.

Series courses, which combine education and science on related topics, will be offered at RSNA 2009 in ER/trauma radiology, pediatrics, chest, musculoskeletal, emerging technology, ultrasound/gastrointestinal, genitourinary and breast.

A mock jury trial will be presented on Sunday afternoon during RSNA 2009. Shown is a mock trial conducted during RSNA 2004, which involved the case of a lung lesion missed on chest examination of a 60-year-old man who died a year later. That trial ended in a hung jury. Among this year's participants is the Honorable Stuart Nudelman, a Chicago-area judge who regularly presides in medical malpractice litigation. Judge Nudelman also participated in the RSNA 2004 mock trial.

Next up in RSNA's "Presents" series is the United Kingdom. "U.K. Presents" will feature the best in radiology from that region. The series of Integrated Science and Practice sessions highlighting international advances featured Italy in 2007 and Japan in 2008. Argentina and China will be featured in 2010 and India and Germany in 2011.

New to RSNA 2009 will be special focus sessions offered at 7 a.m. Two sessions will be offered Monday and two on Thursday. In establishing the new time slot, RSNA seeks to maximize attendees' time at the RSNA annual meeting.

RSNA will dedicate the 2009 RSNA Meeting Program to the memory of 1978 RSNA President Henry P. Pendergrass, M.D., and 1980 RSNA President Hillier L. Baker Jr., M.D. The New Horizons Lecture will be dedicated to the memory of Edward V. Staab, M.D.

Reaccreditation Sought

RSNA has begun a 12-month process to renew its accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). The process calls on RSNA to demonstrate how it has implemented ACCME's 2006 Updated Accreditation Criteria, how the Society's educational planning and programming result in measurable outcomes and how CME plays an integral role in RSNA's collaborative relationships and practice improvement initiatives.

Intersociety Collaboration Expands

RSNA's new strategic plan continues to call for RSNA to strengthen radiology by fostering relationships with other organizations.

RSNA plans to use data from a recent survey of academic radiology chairs to assess learning needs in the area of quality and identify educational programming the Society can provide. More than half the chairs responding to the questionnaire have had a quality improvement/quality assurance program in place for one to five years. Thirty-three members of the Society of Chairs of Academic Radiology Departments responded to the survey in fall 2008 and identified areas of practice most vulnerable to medical or process errors.

RSNA will work with radiology societies around the globe to facilitate International Visiting Professor trips to the Philippines, Thailand, Brazil and Mexico in 2010.

Burton P. Drayer, M.D.
Chairman, 2009 RSNA Board of Directors

Note:

In our continuing efforts to keep RSNA members informed, the chairman of the RSNA Board of Directors will provide a brief report in RSNA News following each board meeting. The next RSNA Board Meeting is in June 2009.