The Past Week and the Next 100 Years

I am always amazed at the quality of the presentations, the excitement generated by the technical exhibits, and the atmosphere of camaraderie produced at RSNA each year. After all, it is consistently one of the largest medical conferences, with annual attendance of over 50,000. Now that the 101st Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America has come to a close, our profession launches into another year of the innovation and exploration that are the hallmarks of radiology, and that continue to benefit millions of patients worldwide.

I extend a special thanks to UCSF staff, physicians, researchers, and trainees who showed our institution’s work at its very best. I am very proud of the work you do, and the pride all of you take in it. Thank you for continuing to serve patients, science, and the field of radiology.

The advances in science and education were highlighted at RSNA, as were the people of radiology. In addition to my longtime colleagues, I met an energized new generation of trainees and residents in whose hands I feel the future is very bright. Radiology’s task now is to navigate a course from a volume-based field to one based on value and centered on patient care. These challenges include the ironies of managing the massive volume of images our new technologies permit, and focusing on patient care in an environment of rising costs and more patients than ever before. One brief but very packed week in Chicago left me believing that we could.