Physician Associates (PAs), Nurse Practitioners (NPs), and Radiologist Assistants (RAs) have functioned as physician extenders by delivering patient care in areas that are suffering from a physician shortage. While physician extenders have filled the void in areas lacking adequate physician coverage, they have also become a significant part of medical professionals' education. Each physician extender has unique roles, education, licensing, and supervision levels. They also can provide more than patient care and procedures in the clinical setting. Having an RA can be advantageous as they already know basic radiology principles and have the required knowledge to perform procedures. Not only do they provide continuity of care, but they are also highly educated, knowledgeable, and work in various modalities. Besides enhancing patient care in the academic setting, they can provide numerous tasks that are beneficial to a radiology department at an academic medical center. We plan to demonstrate how learning through simulation training and the creation and following of protocols can demonstrate the value of an RA. We also plan to discuss RA satisfaction surveys from our institution as well as show how fellow RA colleagues doing their various duties have demonstrated the value of RAs in the academic organization. Read More

Meeting name: SPR 2026 Annual Meeting , 2026

Authors: Lee Jason, Bokhari Danial

Keywords: Pediatric Radiology, Protocol Optimization, Productivity