Government Relations Update | RSNA

RSNA members (left to right), Andrew Smith, MD, St. Jude’s Children Hospital; Alex Towbin, MD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital; and Pari Pandharipande, MD, MPH.

Earlier Government Relations Activities This Year

In early March, RSNA joined over 600 biomedical and health research stakeholder organizations in urging congressional leadership to provide robust funding for the NIH and to preserve protections against harmful research policy changes.

Also in March, RSNA partnered with the Academy, co-sponsoring the 2025 Research Roundtable at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The Research Roundtable is a forum for key imaging, radiology industry and federal agency stakeholders to identify research gaps, establish priorities and explore opportunities for cross-sector collaboration.

“A critically important part of the experience was connecting with exceptional colleagues, ranging from those at the beginning of their careers to those who are very experienced, and hearing their thoughtful perspectives about topics critical to our field’s future,” Dr. Pandharipande said.

The day prior to the Roundtable, Dr. Pandharipande and other participants met with congressional offices on Capitol Hill, as part of the Academy’s 2025 Capitol Hill Advocacy Day.

“It was a privilege to represent the imaging research community and advocate for continued investment in radiology and biomedical imaging through funding of the NIH, NIBIB, and ARPA-H,” said Alex Towbin, MD, associate chief medical information officer at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and vice-chair of RSNA’s Government Relations Committee. “Our visit was successful in amplifying the message that imaging research plays a pivotal role in driving innovation, improving patient care, reducing overall health care costs, and in powering the economy.”

The Capitol Hill meetings highlighted the connection between research and human health and gave the attendees a chance to share their concerns about the negative impact of potential federal funding cuts.

RSNA Provided Testimony and Letters

As part of the annual congressional appropriations process, in which the House and Senate Appropriations Committee develop legislation that specifies funding levels for all federal agencies, the committees invite written testimony from the wide range of stakeholders impacted by federal funding.

RSNA provided written testimony from Jeffrey S. Klein, MD, chair of the Board of Directors, to the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies House Appropriations Committee as part of the congressional committee’s work on FY 2026 NIH funding.

This testimony offered strong support of robust and sustained federal funding for medical research. To quote directly from the testimony, “We strongly support at least $51.3 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for fiscal year (FY) 2026, which would represent a $4.2 billion, or 9.0%, increase over the final FY 2025 funding level.

“Medical imaging has become one of the most powerful diagnostic and therapeutic tools in modern medicine, allowing physicians to detect diseases earlier, personalize treatments, and improve patient outcomes. Many of the most significant advancements in imaging technology—and concomitant improvements in disease detection and treatment—have been directly supported by federally funded research.”

The testimony also presents the important role that AI is playing in transforming medicine and its potential to dramatically improve diagnostic accuracy, enhance efficiency, and improve patient health outcomes. It calls out recent developments in AI-assisted disease detection; predictive analytics and precision medicine; AI in emergency and rural settings; and its use in workflow optimization and efficiency. 

In addition to medical research funding, the use of AI in medicine and health care is a top RSNA policy priority. RSNA also submitted a letter identifying five key considerations in the development of the Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan. These included the need to foster trust through robust validation and transparency, encourage innovation through strategic R&D, and reduce barriers to AI adoption through effective and efficient regulatory pathways.

For More Information

To learn more, visit the RSNA Government Relations website.

When it hits your inbox, review the latest Insider enewsletter for updates on government relations activities.

 

Footnotes

[1] Association of American Medical Colleges. “Impact of NIH Grant Terminations.” AAMC,