The largest radiology political action committee on Capitol Hill has chosen Jacqueline A. Bello, MD, as its new chair, according to an announcement released on Thursday.
Bello is currently director of neuroradiology at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. She begins her two-year term with RADPAC in an intense fight to stop Medicare provider cuts to radiology resulting from evaluation and management coding changes. The new rule, set to begin on Jan. 1, will amount to reimbursement losses of 10% for certain specialties, including radiology.
The American College of Radiology Association’s bipartisan political action committee ranks as the fourth largest among all specialty physician PACs, the group noted in its Dec. 17 statement. And its work with Congress has never been more important, Bello explained.
“With the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmaker actions may be more impactful than ever before,” she added in an email statement. “RADPAC will continue to identify and support candidates that value patient access to care, understand our perspective and share our goal of ensuring that patients receive the highest quality radiology care possible.”
Also on Thursday, RADPAC welcomed a handful of other new board members, including Jesse Conyers, MD, of Emory University Hospital in Atlanta; Daniel Ortiz, MD, of Summit Radiology Services in Cartersville, Georgia; and Mark Yeh, MD, a radiologist practicing in Pasadena, California.
RADPAC raised more than $1 million in 2019. And in this year’s elections, RADPAC-backed candidates won 134 out of 142 primary races while also securing 78 of 81 general election victories.
Bello said she will soon set her sights on next year.
“Radiology professionals continue to navigate an ever-changing landscape of economic uncertainty and polarized politics,” she added. “I look forward to a better 2021, but only if RADPAC and the radiologists it serves, take action in the electoral and lawmaking processes to strengthen our practices, profession and patient care.”
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.