Dr. Basu Completes the 2008 J.T. Rutherford Government Relations Fellowship

Posted 02:25 PM, September 26, 2008, by jaruiz

(From left to right: Congressional Representative Bono, Dr. Basu, and Congressional Representative Mack)

This past summer, Chief Resident Pat Auveek Basu, MD, MBA, spent one week meeting with congressional members (please see a few of their photos below) as well as representatives of federal regulatory agencies in Washington D.C. as a Fellow in the J.T. Rutherford Government Relations Fellowship from the American College of Radiology (ACR). This fellowship exposed him to state and federal legislative and regulatory processes that directly affect the future of radiology. Dr. Basu described his fellowship as "a unique educational experience, an enriching professional opportunity, and a very productive endeavor." He summarized his experience as follows:

"Despite interning in Congress and working on a senate campaign, this was the deepest I have been immersed in the politics of the nation's Capitol. I met with lobbyists about issues we face in our practice; briefed an investment firm on my economic outlook for the industry; and attended seminars on policy and legal matters in radiology. However, the highlight was meeting with close to a dozen congressional representatives and senators to discuss matters pertaining to healthcare policy and economics. The discussion revolved around the recent passing of H.R. 6331, which prevented a drastic cut to physician salaries, mandated accreditation for performing CT and MRI scans, and defined appropriateness criteria for medical imaging. We also had detailed discussions on health reform and the importance of radiology in modern medicine. Recently, I arranged for Congresswoman Anna Eshoo to visit the Department of Radiology this fall.

My interactions with U.S. congressional representatives reminded me how critical it is to maintain and support government relations as our legislators can make broad sweeping changes with only a limited amount of information because they are dealing with such a broad range of issues. In many of my interactions with Congress and the Senate, I felt that I was providing new information to them. For example, several were not familiar with the fact that radiologists do NOT self refer and, thus, have little power over imaging growth. In addition, I educated them on the fact that radiologists have replaced many archaic diagnostic and therapeutic exams, which has led to cost savings and better health outcomes.

I believe that political advocacy is paramount for all radiologists and, that in the future, their patients' health may depend on such vigilance."

For prior blog entries regarding Dr. Basu's awards and honors, please access the following postings: Awards and Honors II: July 15, 2008; Awards and Honors: February 2007; Awards and Honors: August 13, 2007; and "Our New Chief Residents for 2008-2009."

(Dr. Basu and Congressional Representative Bean)