ACR Leader Assumes AMA Role

Radiology pioneer and leader Ezequiel Silva III, M.D., is taking on a key leadership role in the American Medical Association (AMA) – and the American College of Radiology (ACR) is “greatly pleased.”

Silva, the immediate past chair of the ACR Commission of Economics, was announced Feb. 23 as the new chair of the American Medical Association Multi-Specialty Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC). In this role, he will be integral to evaluating and informing Medicare payment policy.

“Dr. Silva’s outstanding collaborative work and contributions in the fields of medicine and healthcare economics have earned the respect and trust of physicians and allied professionals across the house of medicine,” said William T. Thorwarth, M.D., FACR, ACR chief executive officer. “I can’t think of a better choice to lead the AMA Multi-Specialty Relative Value Scale Update Committee into the future.”

Silva’s two-year term with the 32-member committee begins March 1, and he will assess how science and technology medical advances have touched patient care. The San Antonio-based radiologist will also lead the charge in progressing Medicare reimbursement rules.

Alongside this new role, Silva, who has served on the Journal of the American College of Radiology editorial board, has a long history of radiology leadership. Not only is he a Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy® founding board member, but he has also served on the RUC since 2016, most recently as the committee’s Research Subcommittee chair. Within the AMA, he has served as past co-chair of the Digital Medicine Payment Advisory Group, a panel created to identify the stumbling blocks that exist to adopting digital medicine. That chairmanship uniquely prepared Silva for his new leadership position, AMA leaders said.

“The rise of the digital-native physician will have a profound impact on healthcare and patient outcomes, and the RUC will be increasingly called upon to assess the impact of digital health technologies on patient care,” said Russ Kridel, M.D., AMA board chair. “Dr. Silva’s respected insights into emerging digital technologies and his leadership qualities will help guide the RUC’s vital work as a source of physician input on policies that govern Medicare.”

In addition, Silva, who has co-authored roughly 70 peer-reviewed and 50 non-peer reviewed publications. has been a vocal advocate for safe and effective care during the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services and White House COVID-19 Task Force “Lessons from the Front Lines: COVID-19” series and serving as faculty on the AMA webinar “Coding for Telemedicine and COVID-19.”

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