"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." — Helen Keller

What is the ACC Imaging Section?

The Imaging Section of the ACC is the voice in action for cardiovascular imagers. Established in 2008, the Imaging Section seeks to facilitate communication between the ACC and various imaging subspecialty societies, including the American Society of Echocardiography, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Society for Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, as well as the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. In Spring 2011, the Imaging Section evolved from a council into an open member section. Within the Imaging Section, there is a Leadership Council that represents the voices of all the various member societies. The Leadership Council sets the Section agenda, serves as a resource and guides input on guidelines and position papers in multimodality imaging. 

Current Section initiatives include advocacy with payors, education planning for ACC.18 and potential collaboration with the European Society of Cardiology and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging on new imaging appropriateness criteria. 

I am already a member of the ACC. How do I join the Imaging Section?

As a member of the ACC with an interest in cardiac imaging, you can formally join this Section by calling ACC Member Care at (800) 253-4636, ext 5603 or e-mail resource@acc.org. At the time of your regular ACC dues renewal, you can also “opt-in” to join the Imaging Section. For any questions, contact our ACC Staff Liaison Catherine Carithers at ccarithers@acc.org.  

Why join the Imaging Section?

Imaging Section members have access to exclusive content. This academic year, the ACC Imaging Section Leadership Council, including Jeffrey Geske, MD, FACC, associate professor of cardiology at the Mayo Clinic and Victor Ferrari, MD, FACC, professor of medicine and radiology at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, have organized a new ACC.org Multimodality Imaging Writing group to leverage ACC Imaging specialists through the Section website. This site is only accessible to Imaging Section members and will be regularly updated with novel content germane to imagers. The goal is to facilitate engagement and networking opportunities among members. Current Imaging Section efforts include the Prior Authorization Reporting Tool and Section Advocacy.

I have had prior authorization issues. How is the ACC Imaging Section already in Action? The Prior Authorization Reporting Tool.

Did you know that the ACC has a Prior Authorization Reporting Tool (PARTool) to collect data on disputed requests of inappropriate prior authorizations on cardiovascular testing? The short survey allows you to report a denied procedure, the payor and alternative test ordered. This data is crucial in understanding how to best advocate with the various payors to deliver the right test, for the right patient, at the right time for your patients. 

ACC Imaging Section Advocacy Update

Anthem BCBS recently halted payments for computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in hospital outpatient departments, impacting coverage in all states except New Hampshire. Anthem is steering patients away from the hospital outpatient to freestanding imaging facilities to reduce costs. This may impact members by refusing to pay hospital physicians for imaging services rendered and potentially denying care to patients. Outpatient Cardiac MR utilization has historically been low, and Anthem has rarely covered Cardiac CT. Therefore, the impact for cardiac imagers is uncertain. If you have experienced the effects of this issue, please let us know in order to work with the ACC Advocacy staff and fully assess this impact on patient care. 

How can I get engaged with the ACC Imaging Section? 

Each of our individual voices joined collectively through the ACC Imaging Section will advance the Section’s mission to move imaging forward – get involved!

• First, make sure you are an Imaging Section member! Follow the process outlined above.

• Tweet updates to #ACCImaging on recent relevant and important updates on recent advocacy, education and science!

• Visit the Section website regularly. New articles, like this one, are frequently being posted.

• Engage with the weekly ACC.org Digest e-mail newsletter through my communication preferences on ACC.org to receive regular updates and postings. Join us at the Annual Section Meeting at ACC.18 in Orlando, FL – further details to follow closer to ACC.18. 


• Contact Catherine Carithers at ccarithers@acc.org for questions or comments about the Imaging Section.

This article was authored by Andrew D. Choi, MD, FACC, co-director of Cardiac CT and MRI, and assistant professor at The George Washington University in Washington, DC.