SCAR is no longer: Now it's the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine

Effective immediately, the Society for Computer Applications in Radiology (SCAR) is changing its name to the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM). The society also announced today that it will relocate to a new headquarters in Leesburg, VA, this summer.

SCAR leadership announced the name change as a part of a larger move to expand the society's focus to encompass other clinical specialties beyond the field of radiology.

"While we are quite determined to stay true to the society's roots in radiology, in reality medical imaging is expanding across the healthcare enterprise," said conference chair Richard L. Morin, PhD, who is also a medical physicist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.

The society decided to change its name to better describe the diversity of its constituency, to expand research and activities into the entire field of imaging informatics, to include all of the imaging sciences, and to embrace the dynamic changes in the healthcare environment.

"Expanding SCAR's scope will be responsive to current SCAR members, many of whom practice both within and outside of radiology, while welcoming new imaging constituencies," Morin said.

SCAR's efforts tie in with its current core projects: expanding research and education efforts through the Transforming the Radiological Interpretation Process (TRIP) initiative and the Imaging Informatics Professional Certification Program.

TRIP is a multidisciplinary research effort that reaches beyond radiology to address the problem of image and information overload. The Society is also a natural home for a new certification program, developed and administered by imaging informatics professionals for imaging informatics professionals. SCAR is embracing the dynamically changing healthcare environment while staying true to its roots in the radiological sciences and education.

The Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (formerly SCAR) is devoted to the advancement of computer applications and information technology in medical imaging through education and research. SIIM provides an open environment for imaging informatics professionals to access expert and cutting-edge resources in a collegial, practical atmosphere.