The American College of Radiology (ACR) of Reston, VA, and the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) of Leesburg, VA, are exploring collaborative efforts between the two radiologic organizations -- with one possibility being a merger of the groups.
Leaders from the ACR and ARRS are in discussions regarding a relationship that "would seek to leverage the best services and offerings from both organizations to better meet the needs of radiologists and medical physicists," the ACR said in an announcement on May 20.
One possibility is a merger between the organizations, according to ACR spokesman Shawn Farley, who told AuntMinnie.com that "all collaborative options are being discussed."
To facilitate the discussions, the ACR Council during its Annual Meeting and Chapter Leadership Conference (AMCLC) this week passed a resolution that revises the association's bylaws to allow the process to move forward. The changes would not take effect unless a written memorandum of understanding on a collaboration is drafted and signed by the ACR and ARRS.
The resolution calls for the expansion of the ACR's board from 27 to 31 members, and for a minimum of five of those members to come from the ARRS. An ARRS representative would serve as chair of the ACR's Education Commission.
"There are more than 55 separate organizations in the radiology community -- significantly more than in any other medical specialty," the introduction to the resolution states. "This has led to considerable duplication of effort among the societies as well as tremendous dissipation of the community’s limited resources."
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