RESTON, VA, 29 April 2009 – The membership of the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) voted overwhelmingly today to approve a strategic integration with the American College of Radiology (ACR). This historic integration, effective July 1, will provide enhanced services to radiologists, radiation oncologists, and medical physicists seeking continuing medical education, quality and safety programs, clinical research, and a strong voice in Washington.
"This new framework will greatly enhance the programs and services available to radiologists, said Ella A. Kazerooni, MD, president of ARRS. The integration will allow us to devote greater resources to innovative new programs and services that will meet the needs of radiologists practicing today and in the future," she said.
"The College is very pleased to join together with the members and staff of the ARRS. The ACR-ARRS strategic integration brings together a wealth of expertise and experience from both organizations that will enable more efficient service to a larger membership and enhance our ability to provide better services to members, especially in educational programs," said James H. Thrall, M.D., FACR, chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors.
This integration establishes a framework to realize operational efficiency, eliminate redundancies, and improve access to important educational content while maintaining the rich traditions and cultures of each organization. Members of both organizations can expect uninterrupted access to the highly valued offerings that they have previously received as members of their respective organizations.
Leadership is assessing all phases of operations. The integrated organization will be headquartered in Reston, with offices in Leesburg, VA, Washington, DC and Philadelphia. Each will retain its current membership while evaluating joint membership opportunities.
"We look forward to building a better future for radiology together!" added Dr. Kazerooni.
Please visit the ACR (www.acr.org) and ARRS (www.arrs.org) online for further updates regarding this important issue.
About the ACR
The 32,000 members of the American College of Radiology include radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, interventional radiologists, and nuclear medicine physicians. The mission of the ACR is to serve patients and society by maximizing the value of radiology, radiation oncology, interventional radiology, nuclear medicine, and medical physics by advancing the science of radiology, improving the quality of patient care, positively influencing the socio-economics of the practice of radiology, providing continuing education for radiology and allied health professions, and conducting research for the future of radiology.
About the ARRS
The 20,000 member American Roentgen Ray Society is the first and oldest radiology society in the United States. The society has been a forum for progress in radiology since shortly after the discovery of the X-ray and is dedicated to the goal of the advancement of medicine through the science of radiology and its allied sciences. The mission of the society is to advance medicine through the science of radiology and its allied sciences by enabling the creation and exchange of knowledge and information in the field through its journal, meetings, and other means.