[Intl_DxMedPhys] Fwd: [EXTERNAL] Re: URGENT: Help Protect a Cancer-Reducing Safeguard in Hospitals

Thu Sep 11 11:59:41 EDT 2025

I thought this email thread might be of interest to some members of the
list.   Dr. Smith-Bindman is a substantial part of the driving force behind
the CMS requirement for CT effective dose reporting.   The ALARA company --
I believe run by her husband -- is the "Free solution" being pushed on many
smaller hospitals.  Personally, her standance in this area causes me great
concern, as I feel it should be to others in our field.  I have no idea
what the "end goal" of her push is -- but it is most likely not without
substantial financial gain on her part, rather than a "true" concern about
the potential cancer risk from CT.

vR,

Jerry

Jerry Thomas, MS, FAAPM, DABR, CHP, DABSNM
Diagnostic Medical Physicist / Radiation Safety Officer
Ascension Via Christi Hospitals Wichita
Wichita, KS  67214

Phone:  316-268-5958  (office)
            240-447-1014  (cell)

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Smith-Bindman, Rebecca <Rebecca.Smith-Bindman at ucsf.edu>
Date: Wed, Sep 10, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: URGENT: Help Protect a Cancer-Reducing Safeguard in
Hospitals
To: Smith-Bindman, Rebecca <Rebecca.Smith-Bindman at ucsf.edu>

Dear Colleagues,

I’m reaching out for your help on an incredibly important issue to me and
millions of patients nationwide. We’re in the final days of a campaign to
tell Washington: make CT safer. Your past support has been very meaningful
and I hope you'll once again lend your voice to protect patients.

*A new federal rule would make CT imaging less safe, causing 25,000
preventable cancers each year.
<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ucsf.quorum.us/campaign/make_CT_safer/__;!!KGKeukY!z2kAh_kQJGWn1FW2P63hUmckhurynjKuRjYiF7FlrEGUa0wkvyeQg9u5kJT_XOjA_AvDkZeeEfwIPAgY1HjEkhp-hKxDL_zu7UERob1TDx31PRQ$ >*

*TAKE ACTION NOW!
<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ucsf.quorum.us/campaign/make_CT_safer/__;!!KGKeukY!z2kAh_kQJGWn1FW2P63hUmckhurynjKuRjYiF7FlrEGUa0wkvyeQg9u5kJT_XOjA_AvDkZeeEfwIPAgY1HjEkhp-hKxDL_zu7UERob1TDx31PRQ$ >
<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ucsf.quorum.us/campaign/make_CT_safer/__;!!KGKeukY!z2kAh_kQJGWn1FW2P63hUmckhurynjKuRjYiF7FlrEGUa0wkvyeQg9u5kJT_XOjA_AvDkZeeEfwIPAgY1HjEkhp-hKxDL_zu7UERob1TDx31PRQ$ >▶️
<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ucsf.quorum.us/campaign/make_CT_safer/__;!!KGKeukY!z2kAh_kQJGWn1FW2P63hUmckhurynjKuRjYiF7FlrEGUa0wkvyeQg9u5kJT_XOjA_AvDkZeeEfwIPAgY1HjEkhp-hKxDL_zu7UERob1TDx31PRQ$ >*

The Excessive Radiation Dose quality measure is the only safeguard ensuring
hospitals use safe radiation doses. To protect patients and make CT imaging
safer, it must remain mandatory under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services.

*The time to act is short—the public comment period closes Monday,
September 15, 2025.*

It takes 30 seconds and every voice counts.

Thank you,

*Rebecca Smith-Bindman, MD*
Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences
Director, Radiology Outcomes Research Lab

------------------------------
*From:* Smith-Bindman, Rebecca
*Sent:* Wednesday, August 27, 2025 1:07 PM
*To:* Smith-Bindman, Rebecca <Rebecca.Smith-Bindman at ucsf.edu>
*Subject:* URGENT: Help Protect a Cancer-Reducing Safeguard in Hospitals

Dear Colleagues,

I hope this finds you well and having a nice summer. As participants in our
Virtual Symposium on CT, I know you care deeply about patient health and
safety, I’m asking if you would take action to oppose new federal rules
that would make CT imaging less safe by weakening requirements for
hospitals to report their CT radiation data.

Currently, a mandatory measure is in place for hospitals that monitors the
amount of radiation used during CT scans, ensuring doses remain within safe
limits. However, CMS announced a proposal that would make reporting CT
radiation data *optional* for hospitals. *If this change goes into effect,
hospital radiation monitoring will become ineffective. Patients will be
exposed to unnecessarily high radiation, and **thousands of preventable
cancers will occur
<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2832778__;!!KGKeukY!z2kAh_kQJGWn1FW2P63hUmckhurynjKuRjYiF7FlrEGUa0wkvyeQg9u5kJT_XOjA_AvDkZeeEfwIPAgY1HjEkhp-hKxDL_zu7UERob1TAQLOl68$ >*
*.*

In response to this unfortunate news, I’m reaching out to colleagues,
friends, and family to *tell CMS to stop this dangerous rollback for
patient safety.*

We’ve created a *campaign
<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ucsf.quorum.us/campaign/make_CT_safer/__;!!KGKeukY!z2kAh_kQJGWn1FW2P63hUmckhurynjKuRjYiF7FlrEGUa0wkvyeQg9u5kJT_XOjA_AvDkZeeEfwIPAgY1HjEkhp-hKxDL_zu7UERob1TDx31PRQ$ >*
 to allow quick and easy submission – just visit the site, enter your
information, and submit the letter. My contacts at CMS have assured me if
we get enough letters opposing the change, the proposed rule could be
reversed.

*Please submit your comment before Monday, September 15!
<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ucsf.quorum.us/campaign/make_CT_safer/__;!!KGKeukY!z2kAh_kQJGWn1FW2P63hUmckhurynjKuRjYiF7FlrEGUa0wkvyeQg9u5kJT_XOjA_AvDkZeeEfwIPAgY1HjEkhp-hKxDL_zu7UERob1TDx31PRQ$ >*

*If you can, please also share the message with your community:*

   - You can forward this email to everyone you know
   - You can like, re-post, or share my *LinkedIn post
   <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rebecca-smith-bindman-md-182031376_tell-washington-protect-patients-from-dangerous-activity-7366330637290532865-UOjL?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAFzomrIBjPVXL5dkrweBZdyw6J82s-BP1jU__;!!KGKeukY!z2kAh_kQJGWn1FW2P63hUmckhurynjKuRjYiF7FlrEGUa0wkvyeQg9u5kJT_XOjA_AvDkZeeEfwIPAgY1HjEkhp-hKxDL_zu7UERob1TI5sqSMA$ >*
or
   *X post
   <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://x.com/UCRadSafety/status/1960565952766206114__;!!KGKeukY!z2kAh_kQJGWn1FW2P63hUmckhurynjKuRjYiF7FlrEGUa0wkvyeQg9u5kJT_XOjA_AvDkZeeEfwIPAgY1HjEkhp-hKxDL_zu7UERob1TJ6e3gcg$ >*
   - You can simply email or text our campaign to friends and family:
*https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ucsf.quorum.us/campaign/make_CT_safer/__;!!KGKeukY!z2kAh_kQJGWn1FW2P63hUmckhurynjKuRjYiF7FlrEGUa0wkvyeQg9u5kJT_XOjA_AvDkZeeEfwIPAgY1HjEkhp-hKxDL_zu7UERob1TDx31PRQ$ 
   <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ucsf.quorum.us/campaign/make_CT_safer/__;!!KGKeukY!z2kAh_kQJGWn1FW2P63hUmckhurynjKuRjYiF7FlrEGUa0wkvyeQg9u5kJT_XOjA_AvDkZeeEfwIPAgY1HjEkhp-hKxDL_zu7UERob1TDx31PRQ$ >*

Thank you for using your voice to protect patients. Please don’t hesitate
to reach out with any questions.

Sincerely,
Rebecca

Rebecca Smith-Bindman, MD
Professor
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science
Director, Radiology Outcomes Research Lab
University of California San Francisco

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