Celebrate #PSAW25, ROCR Act of 2025 ready for reintroduction, Mentorship Award nominations closing
March 12, 2025
| Patient Safety Awareness Week is happening now! |
| This week, March 9-15, is Patient Safety Awareness Week (PSAW). ASTRO invites you and your practice to celebrate and promote your commitment to safe, high-quality care and a culture of safety. Highlight ongoing initiatives and thank safety champions by taking a photo, using an ASTRO-provided handout for individuals and groups, and/or share on social media with the hashtags #PSAW25 and #ROSafety. Read more for additional ideas. |
| New RO-ILS Case Study: Contouring Complexity |
| The latest RO-ILS education describes a near miss event in which contouring and treatment planning were completed on an incorrect image data set. RO-ILS Case Study 21 discusses navigating numerous scans and includes lessons learned and prevention strategies. Check out other RO-ILS case studies, themed reports and educational resources. |
| Application open for Peer Review Safety White Paper panel |
| ASTRO will be updating its safety white papers on peer review and seeks to include panelists with diverse experiences in peer review formats. To be considered as a potential participant, please complete an application and update your ASTRO disclosure statement by Monday, March 24. Safety white papers provide consensus-based guidance for procedures and considerations for the safe delivery of radiation therapy in specific areas of clinical practice. |
| APEx welcomes new facilities |
Congratulations to the following facility for achieving accreditation through ASTRO’s APEx - Accreditation Program for Excellence®:
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| ROCR Act of 2025 ready to roll for reintroduction | |
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On Thursday, March 13, ASTRO-led legislation to stabilize Medicare payments and protect patient access will be reintroduced in Congress by radiation oncology’s bipartisan congressional champions. The Radiation Oncology Case Rate (ROCR) Value Based Payment Program Act of 2025 features improvements from last year’s bill to encourage innovation and enhance quality following feedback with radiation oncology stakeholders and input from congressional offices. ASTRO is extremely grateful to the leadership of Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), John Joyce, MD (R-Pa.) and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) for again advancing this critical legislation supported by a diverse group of more than 80 organizations. ASTRO will provide more details on the legislation tomorrow, including hosting a Town Hall for members from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. Registration closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday. |
| Doc fix left behind in plan to avert shutdown |
| The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to pass a six-month stopgap government funding plan averting a shutdown and funding the government through September 2025, but the Republican plan did not include any relief from the 2.8% MPFS cuts that went into effect January 1. The Senate must now pass the continuing resolution (CR) prior to the Friday, March 14 deadline, and at least seven Democrats will need to join a narrow Republican majority and overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold. ASTRO joined other physician groups insisting that Congress address the physician cuts immediately. For more, please visit What’s Happening in Washington. |
| 2025 Mentorship Awards deadline is March 21 |
| Submit your nominations for the 2025 ASTRO Mentorship Awards, which recognize outstanding mentors in radiation oncology who have made a lasting impact on the next generation of clinicians, educators and researchers. Awardees will be recognized at the ASTRO Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Learn more details and submit your nomination before the March 21 deadline. |
| Submit today for the ASTRO-BCRF Radiation Oncology Visiting Away Rotations |
| The ASTRO-BCRF Radiation Oncology Visiting Away Rotations offers funding to senior medical students to participate in four-week clinical or research away rotations. Medical students from populations underrepresented in medicine who have demonstrated an interest in radiation oncology are encouraged to apply to receive a $2,500 stipend to support their training.
Applications for this program are open year-round but early application is encouraged as the number of awards provided is limited. Please help us spread the word to medical students! Contact us with any questions or if additional information is needed. |
| New Resident Roundtable – for med students |
| Watch the latest ASTRO-ARRO Resident Roundtable session featuring radiation oncology residents Jana Kobeissi, MD, Jenna Kocsis, MD, Yasamin Sharifzadeh, MD, Yen-Ruh Wuu, MD, and moderated by Austin Sim, MD, JD. In this med student focused discussion, they answer questions about careers in radiation oncology, strategies to become a competitive applicant, navigating rank lists, finding mentorship and more. |
