Advocating for Radiologists and Patients

Dr. Thomas Dykes, right, with Arvin and Beverly Robinson. Dr. Dykes is the Robinson-Furman Family Endowed Chair at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso.

TTUHSC El Paso Radiology Chair to Lead Advocacy Efforts to Support Patients and Physicians

Dr. Thomas Dykes tapped as regional director of the Texas Radiology Advocacy Network

The radiology chair at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso is now the regional leader of a national group that campaigns for patients’ and radiologists’ best interests.

Dr. Thomas Dykes

Thomas M. Dykes, M.D., FACR, FSAR, Foster School of Medicine professor and Department of Radiology chair, was recently selected to a two-year term as the West Texas regional director of the Texas Radiology Advocacy Network. The advocacy network is an extension of American College of Radiology’s state chapter, the Texas Radiological Society.

Radiologists are medical doctors specializing in treating and diagnosing diseases, such as cancer, using X-rays, MRI’s, ultrasounds and other methods. At Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso, the medical practice of the Foster School of Medicine, Dr. Dykes is part of a team offering El Pasoans most in need the world-class patient care they deserve without having to go out-of-town to get medical scans or treatment.

Dr. Dykes is also the Dr. Arvin and Beverly Robinson-Furman Family Endowed Chair in Radiology. Endowed faculty positions allow TTUHSC El Paso to attract and retain world-class talent. Endowed chairs are considered a prestigious honor in academia, and give department leaders the ability to invest in their vision for the department by supporting scholarships and fellowships for talented students and residents, and funding research activities.

As regional director of the advocacy network, Dr. Dykes will mobilize his peers in the Borderplex and West Texas region to lobby legislators at the state and national level and advocate for policies that help radiologists provide the best health care for patients.

“Legislative measures are usually passed with cost-cutting in mind, but sometimes they may not be aware that it could lead to a lapse in health care that could create health disparities and cost patients either financially or medically,” Dr. Dykes said. “That’s where we come in, to advocate. We want to make them aware of potential pitfalls in their proposals and, vice versa, lobby for legislation we believe could be helpful.”

In 2017, the American College of Radiology successfully convinced the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to forgo a 50% cut to mammography technical reimbursement. In 2021, the organization also lobbied to ensure lung cancer screening coverage policies were revised to line up with the updated U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations.

Dr. Dykes has been a member of the organization since he was a radiology resident in 1987. He is also a fellow of the Society of Abdominal Radiology and fellow of the American College of Radiology. That background combined with TTUHSC El Paso’s standing in the region make communicating with other radiologists easier and results in more participation from both Texas Radiology Society members and non-members.

As regional director, Dr. Dykes said he will also be in position to lobby the American College of Radiology in support of Borderplex patients. In the future, there may be specific policies that affect patients in our region, and he could help get the largest network of radiology advocates to support it.

“It’s a service opportunity, and I want TTUHSC El Paso to be recognized as a leader not just in medicine and radiology but policy making as well, and this is how policy is made,” Dr. Dykes said. “I’ve talked with faculty and residents here, and I hope to get them involved early and often because it’s important for the visibility of TTUHSC El Paso. It’s good for us to be side-by-side with big medical practices and firms because in the end, we’re trying to help every radiologist and their patients.”

The need for radiologists is crucial as an imaging study can help identify critical illnesses and diseases. However, the Association of American Medical Colleges project the U.S. may have a shortage of 17,000 to 42,000 radiologist, pathologists and psychiatrists by 2033. Educating future radiologists is vital to reducing those projections.

At TTUHSC El Paso, Dr. Dykes is training the next generation of radiologists who will serve Borderplex patients living in underserved communities. TTUHSC El Paso and the Foster School of Medicine strive to close the health care provider gap in the region. Since most physicians go on to practice in close proximity to where they complete their residency, the school is ensuring a healthy future for the region.

TTUHSC El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s designated as a Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care leaders, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation college students.

TTUHSC El Paso was established to focus on the unique health care and educational needs of our Borderplex community. In 2023, TTUHSC El Paso will celebrate its 10th anniversary as an autonomous university within the Texas Tech University System. In those 10 years, the university has graduated nearly 2,000 doctors, nurses, researchers, and will soon add dentists to its alumni.