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Moving the Field Forward
Raymond Liu, MD
Associate Professor
Matthew Hawkins, MD
Director of Pediatric IR at CHOA, Associate Professor
Interventional radiology (IR) has been established as an independent specialty that is an essential component of many revenue-generating service lines offered by hospitals. But the field has faced challenges in articulating its value proposition to healthcare system executives, insurance carriers/payors, mixed IR/diagnostic radiology practices, as well as patients and the general public. As a result, the field of IR has not yet achieved its full potential, and the opportunity to grow and deliver impact remains large. This session will review how IR is currently viewed by various stakeholders in terms of value; where the field needs to focus its efforts to communicate its value more effectively; and the concrete steps IRs must take to collectively move the field forward. The session will feature presentations by Drs. Raymond Liu and Matthew Hawkins, transition to a brief point/counterpoint on the value of IR, and will conclude with a roundtable discussion with diverse, highly respected stakeholders, including a hospital administrator, economist, diagnostic radiologist, and a vascular surgeon (formerly at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services). Participants will leave this plenary session with a well-defined plan and concrete steps to demonstrate the value of IR at their home institutions. This process will ultimately lead to the growth of our specialty by increasing patients’ access to IR with benefits from the innovative, safe, minimally invasive treatments that are unique to our field.