For 20 years, SIRPAC—the only political action committee fully dedicated to interventional radiology—has been making connections and ensuring IR’s seat at the political table. As physicians and medical systems face new pressures and mounting needs, a cohesive advocacy strategy has never been more crucial. And SIRPAC is a key part of how SIR keeps innovative, image-guided therapies performed by interventional radiologists properly reimbursed by supporting the campaigns of pro-IR lawmakers.
What does SIRPAC do?
“The main function of SIRPAC is to represent IR voices in government,” said SIRPAC chair Jay Shah, MD. “SIRPAC gets IR on a platform and pedestal that is equal to other specialties.”
SIRPAC accomplishes this by pooling member contributions to support political candidates aligned with the interests and goals of the specialty.
“Sometimes that means a candidate has previously cosponsored a bill that directly affects IR,” said Dr. Shah. “Or it may be general in the sense that the person is known year-on-year to not support cutting reimbursement.”
SIRPAC is completely nonpartisan and the SIRPAC board must unanimously agree to contribute to a candidate.
Dr. Shah
“We are vetting candidates and supporting those whose views are in line with the greater needs of the specialty. We align with those who will promote IR and make sure that we have their support for years to come.”
Sometimes SIRPAC candidates are IRs themselves, like Steve Farrara, MD, who ran for the House of Representatives in 2018, or physicians who understand the importance of patient access, like Rep. Michael C. Burgess, MD, R-Texas.
“My first election was a crowded primary. If I didn’t have the support from my colleagues and their medical PACs, I would not have had the gas in the tank to make it across the finish line,” said Rep. Burgess. “[SIRPAC was] there with me and helping me every step of the way. Your support matters.”
Building a relationship
Dr. Tomihama
By supporting IR-friendly candidates, SIRPAC contributions open the door to new partnerships.
“These contributions help build relationships with key policymakers and ensure that the issues important to IR are brought to the forefront in legislative discussions,” said Roger T. Tomihama, MD, SIRPAC vice-chair. “By strategically supporting candidates and initiatives that align with our goals, SIRPAC plays a crucial role in shaping the legislative landscape in which we operate.”
This means that when IR-relevant issues, such as diabetes, peripheral arterial disease or even trauma, are discussed by legislators, SIR can use these established relationships to make sure that the IR voice is heard.
“The policymakers voting on bills to stabilize Medicaid or Medicare funding, adjust reimbursements rates for specific procedures, or adjust the context of hospital-based payments or office-based labs and ambulatory surgical center and payments are the same representatives that SIRPAC nurtures relationships with,” said Dr. Shah.
The IR benefit
Advocacy is one of SIR’s many member benefits, but simply joining SIR isn’t enough to fully support IR advocacy, according to Drs. Shah and Tomihama.
“SIR gives us education, infrastructure and resources to be the best IRs in our areas. By joining SIR, you have access to a huge brain trust, networking, conferences and seminars,” said Dr. Shah. “But I think sometimes people forget about advocacy. Behind every procedure is an entire billing infrastructure, and how much you get paid is determined by a long, upstream sequences of events.”
By donating to SIRPAC, however, members are investing in their ability to practice, Dr. Shah said.
“You can be the best IR in your area, country or the whole world. But if you’re not getting properly reimbursed, you’re not going to be able to practice in a setting of your choice, like an OBL. You won’t be able to enjoy the fruits of your training.”
Nothing about SIRPAC is quid pro quo. IR advocates cannot simply host or attend a fundraiser and expect that IR reimbursement increases will follow, Dr. Shah said. But by creating good relationships, SIRPAC contributions allow IR advocates to provide policymakers with all the information needed to understand why IR is so crucial to patient care.
The patient benefit
To Dr. Shah, everything boils down to quality health care and patient access.
Physicians pursue health care careers because they care about communities and patients and want to make a difference in patients’ lives, he said. “To me, if I care about health care and my communities, I have to care about policy as well.”
This realization motivated Dr. Shah to take a leave of absence from medical school to work as a Congressional aide—and is also why he views advocacy as a patient access issue.
“You’re not necessarily advocating or donating for yourself. You’re doing it for your patients. Because if you don’t exist, your patients can’t benefit from your care,” Dr. Shah said.
He cited his own state, Georgia, as an example—while Atlanta and its suburbs are home to many IRs, patients who live in rural counties close by, don’t always have access to the same breadth of services. As a result, patients who need an IR either go without, or must be transferred to the city, resulting in delayed care, additional costs and patient burdens.
“Involvement in SIRPAC is an investment not only in our profession but also in the future of patient care,” said Dr. Tomihama. “IR has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of many conditions, and it’s essential that we have a strong voice in shaping the policies that will determine how our specialty evolves.”
Dr. Tomihama encourages every SIR member to consider how they can contribute to SIRPAC’s efforts, whether through donations, advocacy or simply by staying informed about the issues that affect the field.
“If you care about your patients and you care about access for your patients, that means you have to care about the future of IR and ensure that IR is supported and expanded,” said Dr. Shah. “That in and of itself is enough of a reason to support SIRPAC.”
Creating a culture of contributing
According to Dr. Shah, his goal as SIRPAC chair is to make sure that the PAC is in a strong financial position—which can only be accomplished by helping members understand the benefits it creates for them.
However, SIRPAC is reasonably small, especially in comparison to other medical political action committees. While it regularly joins forces with other PACS, it doesn’t have the stand-alone power of an organization like RADPAC, the American College of Radiology PAC. According to Dr. Shah, larger organizations like RADPAC regularly fundraise almost 10–20 times more than SIRPAC—and while RADPAC is a key ally that advocates for all of radiology, its interest is not focused on IR.
Dr. Shah says his dream is to make SIRPAC donations part of the cultural fabric of IR, much like other specialties have.
“Orthopedics raise almost seven figures a year for their PAC, because it’s part of their culture,” Dr. Shah said. “Residents begin donating because they see the benefit when their attendings do it and they encourage the practice.”
Dr. Shah wants that for IR, suggesting that framing the support as a reasonable recurring payment each month may make it more accessible for members. For example, residents dedicated to IR could donate the value of a cup of coffee a month. Junior attendings could donate the value of one meal. And as IRs progress in their career and become senior attendings, they can donate what they can.
“SIRPAC is more than just a political action committee—it is a vital tool for safeguarding the future of our specialty,” said Dr. Tomihama. “SIRPAC’s work directly impacts the legislative and regulatory environment in which we practice, and by contributing to SIRPAC, members are investing in the long-term viability of interventional radiology.”
Member donation—of time or money—is crucial for ensuring that the IR voice remains strong and influential.
“SIRPAC’s success depends on broad participation from across our specialty; the more unified and engaged we are, the more effective we can be in advocating for our collective interests,” said Dr. Tomihama.
The SIR Advocacy Fund
For those who have reached their maximum SIRPAC donation limits or are looking for additional ways to support IR advocacy, SIR has launched an all-new opportunity: The SIR Advocacy Fund.
The SIR Advocacy Fund is a vital funding resource in support of SIR’s advocacy work that, unlike SIRPAC, can accept support from OBLs and corporate partners. The fund is designed to support and expand critical advocacy initiatives that shape the future of IR at both the state and federal levels.
“The SIR Advocacy Fund can collect soft dollar contributions of any amount from any individual, corporation or other PAC, regardless of whether they are an SIR member,” Dr. Tomihama said. “Alternatively, SIRPAC contributions are considered hard dollar, and can only be used to make contributions to support state and federal political campaigns.”
There are also limits on how much an individual or organization can donate to SIRPAC per election cycle ($5,000), whereas there is no level for SIR Advocacy Fund donations.
Donations given to the SIR Advocacy Fund cannot be used to support political campaigns. Instead, the funds will be used to support SIR Advocacy activities.
“That might mean increasing the SIRPAC presence at meetings, hosting more frequent Washington fly-in events or improving our volunteer training materials for the Voices for IR program,” said Dr. Tomihama. In addition, the SIR advocacy team hopes that the SIR Advocacy Fund can support the creation of state-level advocacy programs to do more direct work on a state and local level.
“This is a great way for businesses and IR allies to showcase their support for IR therapies and patient access,” said Dr. Shah.
Learn more about the SIR Advocacy Fund.
Learn how to donate to SIRPAC.
