The RAD Women (RADxx) networking group for women in imaging informatics is changing its name to RADequal to reflect a more inclusive view of the group's mission.
RADxx was launched at the RSNA meeting in 2016 with the goal of fostering networking and mentorship opportunities for women in digital health and informatics. At the time, only one-quarter of active radiologists in the U.S. were women.
Dr. Geraldine McGinty.Five years later, RADxx has largely succeeded in its mission, according to a June 28 column by Dr. Geraldine McGinty, who founded the initiative along with executives from imaging informatics firm Ambra Health. The group has sponsored virtual meetups, educational webinars, an awards program, one-on-one mentorship, and most importantly, friendship, McGinty wrote.
But RADxx has also recognized that the group and its mission have evolved, she wrote.
"We realized our name is inconsistent with the values and goals of inclusivity to which we aspire," McGinty wrote. "The two female chromosomes to represent women in our name is a narrow and binary view of gender expression that excluded some in our community."
To address the issue, RADxx will now be known as RADequal.
"Our mission remains the same -- to advance the representation of women in radiology and informatics, but our name better reflects the inclusive organization we are," McGinty wrote. "Our pursuit is equality, and now, so is our name."
