American College of Radiology

What American College of Radiology does

The American College of Radiology (ACR) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) professional medical association headquartered in Reston, Virginia, serving more than 39,000 radiologist members, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, residents, fellows, and medical students across 54 state chapters. ACR operates four interrelated product lines: (1) a gold-standard accreditation program covering nine imaging modalities (CT, MRI, mammography, nuclear medicine/PET, radiation oncology, breast ultrasound, stereotactic breast biopsy, ultrasound) plus higher-level designations such as Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence and ACR Lung Cancer Screening and Prostate Cancer MRI Centers; (2) the National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR) and its constituent registries — Lung Cancer Screening Registry (with the 2024 Early Lung Cancer Detection Registry expansion), CT Colonography Registry, National Mammography Database, and a CMS-approved MIPS Qualified Clinical Data Registry; (3) proprietary clinical reporting systems — BI-RADS, C-RADS, Lung-RADS, and PI-RADS — that standardize imaging communication across the field; and (4) education and certification programs led by the ACR Institute for Radiologic Pathology (AIRP), which serves 310+ radiology residency programs, alongside the Radiology Leadership Institute and Radiology-TEACHES for trainees. AI Central, a curated directory of FDA-cleared imaging AI products, extends ACR into AI discovery infrastructure, and the organization co-publishes RadiologyInfo.org with RSNA as the leading patient education site for medical imaging.

ACR monetizes primarily through recurring membership dues, accreditation and designation fees ($400 per Lung Cancer Screening Center facility, $400/$200 for Prostate Cancer MRI Centers), event registrations for the Annual Meeting and AIRP courses, advertising in the Journal of the American College of Radiology (published in partnership with Elsevier) and the ACR Bulletin, and MIPS QCDR participation fees. Distribution is direct: members, imaging facilities, and trainees engage ACR through its website, accreditation portal, Engage Forum, podcasts, and in-person events, with no traditional reseller channel. ACR's advocacy arm, the American College of Radiology Association (ACRA), and its political action committee RADPAC represent radiology interests at the federal and state level, including successful multi-decade advocacy that produced Medicare coverage for CT colonography effective January 1, 2025. The organization is governed by a member-led Council and Board of Chancellors; current CEO Dana H. Smetherman, MD, MPH, MBA, FACR leads an executive team of approximately 11 senior officers, with the broader organization employing 500+ staff in a 97% virtual operating model.

Name

American College of Radiology

Legal name

American College of Radiology

Website

https://acr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The American College of Radiology is a nonprofit professional medical association serving more than 39,000 radiologist members through imaging facility accreditation, clinical registries, proprietary reporting standards (BI-RADS, C-RADS, Lung-RADS, PI-RADS), AIRP radiology training, advocacy, and the AI Central imaging-AI directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radiology Professional Association Services

NAICS

Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215), Diagnostic Imaging Centers (621512)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Quality, Peer Review & Compliance Tools (MQSA/ACR/QA) (HLACALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Radiology Reporting, Dictation & Structured Reporting (HLACALAF), Healthcare & Clinical Professional Certifications (EDAAANAI)

Keywords

• Medical imaging accreditation
• Radiology clinical registries
• Medical professional association
• Radiology reporting standards
• Continuing medical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Reston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Revenue from radiologist membership fees and subscriptions for access to member benefits, education, and resources.
2. Accreditation Fees: Fees charged to medical imaging facilities for accreditation review, testing materials, and ongoing accreditation maintenance across various modalities.
3. Designation Fees: Fees for specialized designations such as Lung Cancer Screening Center ($400 per facility) and Prostate Cancer MRI Center ($400 first unit, $200 additional units).
4. Event Registrations: Revenue from Annual Meeting, conferences, categorical courses, and AIRP training programs including four-week courses and case review conferences.
5. Journal and Publication Advertising: Display advertising opportunities in the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR), e-newsletters, ACR Daily Scan, and the digital ACR Bulletin magazine.
6. MIPS QCDR Participation: Fees for participating in Qualified Clinical Data Registry for MIPS quality reporting requirements.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The American College of Radiology is a nonprofit professional medical association that provides medical imaging facility accreditation across multiple modalities, clinical data registries (NRDR, LCSR, QCDR, NMD, CT Colonography Registry), proprietary reporting standards (BI-RADS, C-RADS, Lung-RADS, PI-RADS), specialist designations (Lung Cancer Screening Center, Prostate Cancer MRI Center, Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence, Comprehensive Breast Imaging Center), education and training programs (AIRP, Radiology Leadership Institute, Radiology-TEACHES), federal and state advocacy, and membership services for radiologists, radiation oncologists, and medical physicists.

Product overview

The American College of Radiology is a nonprofit professional organization serving over 39,000 radiologist members through a comprehensive portfolio of accreditation programs, clinical registries, reporting standards, and education offerings. The organization operates primarily as a platform of interconnected products rather than a single unified product. Core offerings include: (1) ACR Accreditation Programs for imaging facilities across nine modalities (CT, MRI, Mammography, Nuclear Medicine/PET, Radiation Oncology, Breast Ultrasound, Stereotactic Breast Biopsy, Ultrasound); (2) ACR Designations including Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence (DICOE), Comprehensive Breast Imaging Center, Lung Cancer Screening Center, and Prostate Cancer MRI Center designations; (3) Clinical Registries within the National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR) including Lung Cancer Screening Registry (LCSR), CT Colonography Registry, National Mammography Database (NMD), and MIPS QCDR; (4) Reporting standards including BI-RADS, C-RADS, Lung RADS, and PI-RADS; (5) AIRP (Institute for Radiologic Pathology) education and training programs; (6) AI Central directory of FDA-cleared imaging AI products; and (7) Patient-facing tools including RadiologyInfo.org, Mammography Saves Lives, and facility locator tools for lung cancer screening and CT colonography. Additional offerings include advocacy through ACRA/RADPAC, Radiology Leadership Institute, ACR Bulletin journal, and the ACR Foundation research funding programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AIRP (ACR Institute for Radiologic Pathology): Radiology training and education program for residents, fellows and practicing radiologists offering radiologic-pathologic correlation courses
• RADPAC
• DICOE (Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence)
• NRDR (National Radiology Data Registry)
• QCDR
• ACR Lung Cancer Screening Registry

Products and services

• ACR Accreditation Program Voluntary gold-standard accreditation program for medical imaging facilities, covering multiple modalities including CT, MRI, Mammography, Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Oncology, Breast Ultrasound, Stereotactic Breast Biopsy, and Ultrasound. Used by facilities to demonstrate quality and safety standards and often required by payers for reimbursement.
• ACR Modality Accreditation Modality-specific accreditation programs within the ACR Accreditation portfolio: Breast Ultrasound, CT, Mammography, MRI, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Radiation Oncology, Stereotactic Breast Biopsy, and Ultrasound. Each modality accreditation provides a facility with the corresponding ACR gold seal of accreditation.
• Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence (DICOE) Highest-level ACR designation for imaging facilities demonstrating pinnacle diagnostic care with infrastructure, policies, and procedures for consistently high-quality care. Available in DICOE, DICOE With Distinction, and DICOE Pinnacle levels.
• ACR Designated Comprehensive Breast Imaging Center Designation for facilities achieving accreditation in all ACR breast imaging modalities, demonstrating high-quality, accreditation-level care across the full breast imaging service line.
• ACR Designated Lung Cancer Screening Center Designation for facilities exceeding basic equipment, personnel, and imaging performance requirements for lung cancer screening services. Designation fee is $400 per facility.
• ACR Prostate Cancer MRI Center Designation Designation for facilities demonstrating excellence in prostate MRI imaging with at least one accredited MR unit meeting minimum requirements for acceptable MR prostate exam performance. Designation fee is $400 for first unit and $200 for each additional unit.
• Lung Cancer Screening Registry (LCSR) Clinical registry that assists physicians in evaluating and demonstrating quality of CT lung cancer screenings through peer and registry benchmarks. Expanded in 2024 to include the Early Lung Cancer Detection Registry (ELCDR) for incidental pulmonary nodules.
• MIPS Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) CMS-approved Qualified Clinical Data Registry that supports MIPS quality measure reporting and QCDR measures, enabling physicians to fulfill Merit-Based Incentive Payment System requirements. Expanded in 2026 to support twelve QCDR measures and a broad selection of MIPS measures, including new Diagnostic Radiology and Interventional Radiology MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs).
• National Mammography Database (NMD) Registry providing data for benchmarking performance and research outcomes in mammography from facilities across the country.
• CT Colonography Registry Registry providing evidence-based health outcomes and process data for decision-making in CT colonography.
• National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR) Platform providing access to national data for quality improvement programs, including multiple registries under one umbrella: LCSR, CT Colonography Registry, National Mammography Database, and QCDR. NRDR also supports MIPS reporting through verified vendor integrations.
• BI-RADS (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System) Standardized reporting system for breast imaging that helps physicians manage patients' conditions and communicate clearly with referring physicians through standardized assessment categories. Used industry-wide.
• C-RADS (CT Colonography Reporting & Data System) Standardized reporting, risk assessment and management tool for colorectal and extra-colonic findings in CT colonography examinations.
• PI-RADS (Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System) Standardized reporting framework for prostate MRI that helps standardize interpretation and reporting of prostate imaging findings.
• Lung-RADS Reporting and data system for standardized assessment of lung cancer screening CT findings.
• ACR Institute for Radiologic Pathology (AIRP) Radiology training program offering pathophysiologic understanding of disease for residents, fellows, and practicing radiologists, including four-week courses, case review conferences, hot seat courses, and fellowships in MSK and GU imaging. Provides over 150 hours of didactic instruction and case review seminars per course. AIRP training fulfills requirements for over 310 radiology residency programs.
• AI Central Directory of FDA-cleared imaging AI products curated by ACR, functioning as a searchable database that helps radiologists find appropriate AI solutions based on modality and use case filters.
• RadiologyInfo.org Patient information website developed and funded by ACR and RSNA providing answers to medical imaging questions. Described as the #1 patient information website for medical imaging questions.
• ACR Appropriateness Criteria Evidence-based guidelines for determining which imaging tests and treatments work best for commonly encountered medical conditions. Used to guide evidence-based imaging decisions.
• Radiology Leadership Institute (RLI) Leadership training and professional development programs for radiologists, including courses and resources for career advancement, such as the Health Care Economics Milestones Program for residents.
• Radiology-TEACHES Education program for medical students featuring self-registration modules covering radiology concepts and applications.
• Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR) Peer-reviewed journal published by ACR and published by Elsevier, providing cutting-edge research and clinical guidance for radiologists. Supports display advertising opportunities.
• ACR Bulletin Digital news magazine providing news and analysis shaping the future of radiology. Supports display advertising.

Quantifiable outcome

• Breast cancer mortality decreased by 40% since 1990 thanks to mammography screening
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration23 records

AI capability2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACR co-developed and co-funds RadiologyInfo.org, the #1 patient information website for medical imaging questions, with RSNA.
• Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute conducts health policy research supporting radiology advocacy and healthcare policy decisions. Donations to the ACR Foundation's Health Policy Research Fund primarily support this institute.
• Elsevier (JACR)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerElsevier publishes the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR), ACR's peer-reviewed journal. Elsevier handles advertising sales for JACR and ACR Bulletin.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)coreOthersCMS oversees Medicare/Medicaid coverage decisions that affect radiology reimbursement. ACR QCDR submits MIPS data to CMS on behalf of participating physicians.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• European Society of Radiology (ESR): ESR is the umbrella European radiology society, runs the European Congress of Radiology and similar education/standards activities. It is comparable to ACR as a pan-European counterpart serving radiologists outside the U.S.
• Royal College of Radiologists (RCR): RCR is the U.K.-based professional body for radiologists, performing accreditation, education, and advocacy functions parallel to ACR. It operates in a different geography and competes with ACR for international influence over radiology standards.

Direct peers

• American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO): ASTRO represents radiation oncologists, a closely related specialty served by ACR (radiation oncology is one of ACR's accredited modalities). ASTRO operates as a parallel professional society with its own accreditation, advocacy, education, and guidelines — directly comparable to ACR's structural model.
• American Board of Radiology (ABR): ABR certifies radiologists via board exams — the closest peer in the radiology credentialing ecosystem. While ACR accredits facilities and provides ongoing education, ABR certifies individuals, and the two organizations operate in a tightly coupled radiology professional ecosystem.
• Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM): SIIM is the leading society for imaging informatics, PACS, and AI in radiology, overlapping with ACR's data registries, AI Central, and MIPS QCDR. It is a niche but directly comparable society serving a subset of ACR's clinical scope.
• Radiological Society of North America (RSNA): RSNA is the other dominant U.S. radiology professional society, co-developing RadiologyInfo.org with ACR. It runs a large annual scientific assembly (RSNA Annual Meeting) and publishes Radiology, competing directly with ACR on education, publishing, and member value.
• Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME): ACCME accredits organizations that provide continuing medical education — including ACR's CME programs. It is structurally comparable as an accreditation body within the medical profession and overlapping in scope with ACR's accreditation mission.
• American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT): ARRT certifies radiologic technologists (a parallel profession to radiologists) with similar credentialing, examination, and standards functions. It is a direct peer as a credentialing body within the broader radiology workforce.

Broad incumbents

• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS): ABMS is the parent organization that oversees physician specialty boards (including ABR), comparable structurally to ACR as the broader accreditation/certification umbrella. ACR itself operates as a parallel specialty-body model under this broader umbrella.
• American Medical Association (AMA): AMA is the broader umbrella physician organization that runs CPT/RUC processes affecting radiology reimbursement. ACR is a member of the AMA House of Delegates and is comparable structurally, but AMA serves all physicians rather than specializing in radiology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RadiologyACR
• Facebookfacebook.com/AmericanCollegeOfRadiology

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American College of Radiology