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They scoffed; they said it couldn't be done. "What? An institute for Radiology? A pipe dream!" Those in the know had declared that we could work for years and then still might not be successful. And besides, the powers-that-be in the NIH were not overly enthused about establishing a national institute for Radiology. "Never happen!" they concluded.
Well, so much for naysayers—ye of little faith. Congress passed a bill, H.R. 1795, establishing a National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) at the NIH, and President Clinton signed it on December 29,2000. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy G. Thompson, formally approved the establishment of NIBIB on April 20, 2001, and Donna J. Dean, Ph.D., was named its acting director shortly thereafter.
And our dream, Radiology's dream—pipe dream or not—came true. We are off and running.
Congress passing a bill, any bill, is news these days what with all the partisan discord and our congressional politicians' seeming inability to come to agreement on any matter of importance. But that is what happened. And it wasn't a fluke.
The establishment of our institute, Radiology's institute, the NIBIB, was the end result of a determined effort led by the Academy of Radiology Research [1], most recently under the direction of its president, C. Douglas Maynard. Doug doesn't give in; he gets up and goes! Doug's persistence and dedication is legendary. He keeps pounding away until the task is done. Radiology was most fortunate in having our man Doug at the helm in the campaign to acquire an institute.
So there is reason to celebrate, but this is no time to relax. In birthing the institute, as is their wont to do, the Feds cast it adrift in some fairly murky political waters. All we really have at this juncture is a piece of paper. Granted it is a federal law with the President's signature, but it still amounts to little more than a piece of paper that establishes an institute. What we don't have are bricks and mortar, a building, a full-time, permanent director, or a budget. They are working on that.
You cannot assume that this founding institute, like Moses, will be taken from the bullrushes by friendly, loving souls and nurtured to a productive existence. In its present primordial state, the imaging institute is highly vulnerable—subject to varied politically inspired winds and currents created by a host of scientists, researchers, and nonradiologist physicians from several other specialties. They wish to shape the institute's ultimate form and purpose and, in so doing, influence the direction and charge of the institute and lay claim to some portion of the institute's territory.
Nothing can be taken for granted. The formulation of an institute is an arduous process. You cannot make even the simplest of assumptions. No matter how basic you think your problems are, they are probably more basic than that; to whit, the word "imaging." Now, surely, everyone concerned can agree on a definition of imaging. It may come as a surprise to some of you, as it surely did to me, that a definition of imaging would prove problematic. However, there are a lot of nonradiologist camels who want to get their noses into this tent. So, just for starters, a definition of imaging must be found that all the interested parties are willing to agree to. This may take a while.
So we, Radiology, must remain vigilant. And involved. Fortunately for us we have a lead agency in this effort. The Academy of Radiology Research was initially formed for the purpose of pursuing the establishment of an institute for radiology at the NIH. Having achieved success in this task, the Academy now turns its attention to monitoring, influencing, fostering, and supporting the growth and direction of the fledgling institute.
How can you help?
The activities of the Academy are largely underwritten by financial support from the major radiologic organizations: the ACR, ARRS, RSNA, and others. But money from all sources is welcome. The Academy is a 501(c)(3) organization, so your donations would not only be welcome; they would also be tax deductible. For more information concerning the Academy, check out their Web site (http://www.acadrad.org).
Just as politics was important in securing approval for an institute, politics and political considerations remain an important element in the subsequent task of formulating and building the institute. Radiology needs friends in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to watch over and push for appropriate funding for the institute to survive and thrive.
The two principal sponsors of the bill that established the NIBIB were Representatives Richard Burr (R, NC) and Anna Eshoo (D, CA). The principal sponsor in the Senate was Trent Lott (R, MS). How did we manage to get the then Majority Leader of the Senate to put himself on the line and sponsor our bill? Well, Senator Lott's long-time friend and neighbor, radiologist Dr. Paul H. Moore, FACR, of Pascagoula, MS, convinced the senator that the formation of an institute for imaging at the NIH would be a most worthy endeavor—a wise and wonderful thing to do. As a result Senator Lott signed on, enthusiastically promoted, and shepherded the bill through the Senate.
If you are close to and might have the ear of either a senator or a representative and would be willing to contact them on behalf of our specialty, Ed Nagy, the Executive Director of the Academy of Radiology Research, or others on the staff would love to hear from you. Telephone Mr. Nagy at the Academy office (202-347-5872), or write (Ste. 505, 1029 Vermont Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20005), or e-mail (acadrad@aol.com). If you have any question regarding either the new institute or how you might participate, you should contact one of the radiologists who serve as officers of the Academy. The officers are listed on the Academy's Web site. They would be pleased to hear from you.
All right, we got our institute, the NIBIB. Now the real work begins. Join in. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.
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