The CAR is moving into the new year aiming to build on the momentum of 2024, taking on the challenges facing radiology and Canadian patients with care and determination.
We remain steadfast in our organizational priority of providing exceptional patient care and healthcare delivery. This means strongly advocating the Federal Government on behalf of members and patients to increase funding for provinces so they can address long wait times for medical imaging, shortages in health human resources, staff burnout, and aging equipment, all of which are challenges that are consistently faced in jurisdictions across Canada. Last year’s Day on the Hill was successful in reaching decision makers on Parliament Hill. The annual day of advocacy featured mobile ultrasound demonstrations and an on-site mammography van to highlight the necessity of medical imaging in a patient’s care journey. We will be working with a new government relations firm in 2025 to amplify our messaging on the Hill and maintain strong partnerships with other national specialty societies to present a unified voice, like the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists and Sonography Canada.
Meeting on Digitized Referrals, November 12, 2024
Technology and innovation are lynchpins to advancing the field of radiology and improving Canadian healthcare overall. The CAR is leading the way in creating a body of oversight for post-market Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in radiology and healthcare called the Healthcare AI Validation Network (HAIVN), spearheaded by Dr. Jaron Chong and the AI Standing Committee. Last year, the CAR met with national leaders in radiology and healthcare to make the case for a national digitized referral system and its benefits in streamlining referrals to improve the quality of care. These will continue to be major priorities in the coming months.
As a national specialty society and the voice for Canadian radiologists, the CAR continues to set a high professional standard for medical imaging across the country. The CAR’s accreditation offerings expanded beyond the successful Mammography Accreditation Program (MAP) to feature other modalities like the newly launched CT Accreditation Program, successfully completed by Niagara Health to become the first CT accredited institution in Canada, and other programs in their pilot phases. We made excellent strides in 2024 by publishing four major practice guidelines and have already published the critical Practice Statement on Pelvic MRI for Endometriosis in 2025, with several more currently in production.
Thanks to the work of our incredible members, the CAR has had many successes on which to build for the future. We have grown our Affiliate Societies to include MSK radiologists with the newly formed Canadian Society for Skeletal Radiology (CSSR) and have seen all other Affiliate Societies grow their membership by at least 10% across the board, with several groups numbering in triple digits. The CAR Journal (CARJ) is steadily increasing its number of submissions, downloads, and citations. New heights in corporate partnerships, abstract submissions, and attendance at the Annual Scientific Meeting continue to be reached. We have enhanced our presence in the educational space by hosting more webinars and events whose topics are tailored to the needs of our members and are led by Canadian and international experts. Stay tuned for details about a revamped RAD Academy, the CAR’s dynamic online learning management system.
I wish all our members a Happy New Year and would like to share my gratitude for all the dedicated volunteer hours that members have put in to develop guidelines, advocate on behalf of radiologists and patients, and take on critical, lifesaving research projects. Thanks also to our corporate partners who graciously support our events and initiatives. I look forward to the year ahead and am hopeful we can count on your continued support.
Dr. Ania Kielar
CAR President