Leadership column


By SIR President Alda Tam, MD, FSIR, with SIR Executive Director Keith M. Hume


The power of partnerships: Forging alliances to enhance the voice of interventional radiology


should claim exclusive rights to patient populations or clinical disease states. In our daily practice, interventional radiologists routinely collaborate closely with colleagues in other specialties across the spectrum of medicine including cancer, vascular disease, neurological disease, women’s health and pediatrics to name but a few. These everyday working collaborations (whether in clinical, research or other settings) are translated into general health care policy improvements through alliances between the professional medical societies that represent the practitioners in these specialties.


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Over the years, SIR has forged, led or joined a number of such alliances—from formal coalitions of diverse medical specialties, to collaborations with individual organizations for a specific need, to working groups with select organizations to draft clinical practice guidelines—to advocate jointly for common goals, to improve access to minimally invasive image-guided treatments, and to ensure that patients receive the best evidence-based care.


Now that we have transitioned to one of 37 primary medical specialties, a clear indication that the general medical community recognizes IR’s contribution to high-quality patient care, this kind of combined advocacy has become more important than ever. It demonstrates that while IR is still a relatively small specialty, by joining our voice with those across healthcare, we will address challenges in patient access to IR, reimbursement, research funding and more. We are equal


6 IRQ | SUMMER 2023


he delivery of high-quality patient care is increasingly becoming a team effort, and no one specialty can or


partners in these alliances, ensuring that our expertise and privileges are recognized and respected.


Forging new or joining existing alliances provides SIR a seat at the table where decisions are made, policies are shaped, and healthcare landscapes are transformed. It facilitates our direct access to legislators, government and health care administrators, policy experts and patient advocates. Our participation in these groups also reflects our transition from the outdated paradigm of "better, faster, cheaper" to recognizing the importance of interventional radiology as a key component of the high-quality patient care team.


While we have joined numerous coalitions and other alliances over the years, it is crucial to strategically focus on disease states where we play a major role or have developed mature service lines and align these relationships with our overall societal strategic objectives.


Perhaps no alliance is more strategic than the group SIR has most recently joined: Earlier this month, SIR joined the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, which brings together more than 50 multidisciplinary medical organizations to collaborate on standards, research, data collection, education and quality to enhance the survivability of cancer and improve the quality of life for cancer patients. Joining this commission gives IR a seat at the table on one of the most influential decision-making organizations in oncology.


Earlier this year, SIR joined the American Diabetes Association’s Amputation Prevention Alliance as a founding member. The mission of this alliance


is focused on saving limbs and lives by advancing needed policy changes, driving clinician awareness to prevent amputations, and empowering patients to advocate for their best care. The alliance also aims to disrupt the curve of amputations and amputation- related mortality among low-income and minority individuals with diabetes. In July, SIR member Alok Bhatt, MD, participated in the Amputation Prevention Alliance’s “solutions summit,” as one of three physicians discussing the challenges leading to unnecessarily high rates of diabetes-related amputations.


These are just a few of the examples of SIR’s strategic collaborations. In the online version of this article, you will find a list of other such alliances that SIR has joined over the years, and some of the accomplishments we have achieved together, working on behalf of both our patients and our members. SIR recognizes the importance of multispecialty coalitions and other alliances and regularly invests time and resources to these efforts. By actively participating in these partnerships, we enhance our influence, raise awareness about our specialty, foster collaboration and improve patient care. As we continue to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of medicine, our strategic alliances remain a fundamental aspect of our mission to advance interventional radiology, demonstrate the value of IR and provide the best possible care to our patients.


Read more online by scanning the QR code.


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