RSNA Board of Directors Report
The RSNA Board of Directors met in January and March to plan for RSNA 2017 and update the 2017-2022 strategic plan.
International Collaboration
RSNA will conduct a joint symposium on head and neck imaging with the Asian Oceanian Society of Radiology in conjunction with the 2018 Asian Oceanian Congress of Radiology and RSNA 2018.
The Board also approved an annual international travel award for up to 50 qualifying individuals from low-resource countries. The $500 award is intended to defray travel expenses to the RSNA annual meeting, beginning in 2018.
Embracing Machine Learning
In recognition of the growth of interest in machine learning (ML) applications for radiology, the Board updated the Society’s strategic plan to include a strategy to develop initiatives addressing the relevance of ML in radiology. Additionally, the topic was approved as the focus of the RSNA/AAPM Symposium, “Machine Learning in Radiology: Why and How?” at RSNA 2017.
3-D Printing Special Interest Group
The 3-D Printing Special Interest Group (SIG) has grown to include 110 members since its November 2016 launch. The SIG met in March to begin planning activities including education and developing consensus guidelines for 3-D printing from medical images. Current RSNA members can join the SIG for a $40 annual fee by contacting the RSNA Membership Department.
Educational Webinars
The Board approved the launch of educational webinars in 2018, with live lectures and interactive question-and-answer sessions.
RSNA 2017 Planning Underway
The Board approved plenary speakers for the annual meeting (see page 2) and selected topics for Special Interest and Hot Topics sessions. Special Interest topics will include dementia, the radiology experience from the patient’s perspective, translating quantitative imaging research to clinical practice, radiofrequency ablation in combination with immunotherapy, and the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Gold Medal and Honorary Membership recipients were also determined.
The NCI Perception Lab will continue its research in the Learning Center at RSNA 2017. Additionally, the NCI’s Cancer Imaging Archive will conduct a new image annotation crowdsourcing activity at the annual meeting.
In an ongoing effort to provide the highest quality content at a good value, the Board established new Premium and Executive registration packages, enabling attendees to customize their experiences (see page 24). Additionally, the RSNA 2017 Virtual Meeting will be expanded to include approximately 150 sessions, or 25 percent of the annual meeting content. The Virtual Meeting will be available on demand through Feb. 2018.
Expanded Membership Categories
The Board moved to expand RSNA membership eligibility criteria by adding a Patient Advocate subcategory of Associate member, and proposing that the RSNA bylaws be amended to add membership categories for medical students outside of North America, and graduate students, both North American and non-North American.
Thank You
I greatly appreciate the thoughtful work of the RSNA board members, staff and volunteers who are continually evaluating and enhancing RSNA’s programs to bring innovation and value to our members and meeting attendees. The ultimate beneficiaries of RSNA’s education and research programs are our patients.
Valerie P. Jackson, MD
Chair
RSNA Board of Directors