Monday Plenary Session: The future of Interventional Radiology — independence, integration, and impact; perspectives from leadership and established IR models

Monday, April 13, 2026

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Location: Exhibit Hall F

Moderator(s)

Bulent Arslan, MD, FSIR

Professor and Inaugural Chair
Rush University Medical Center, United States
Robert A. Lookstein, MD

Professor of Radiology and Surgery
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States

Keynote Speaker(s)

Omar Lateef

President and CEO
Rush University System for Health , United States

Panelist(s)

JK

John Kaufman, MD, FSIR, MS

Attending Physician
Dotter Interventional Institute, United States
Luke Sewall, MD, FSIR, RPVI

President and CEO
VIR Chicago, United States
Bien-Soo Tan, MBBS (he/him/his)

Senior Consultant
Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
GV

Geogy Vatakencherry, MD, FSIR

Program Director of Vascular and Interventional Integrated Residency
Kaiser Permanente physician, United States

Interventional radiology is at an inflection point. As hospitals, health systems, and private practices redefine their structures, IR leaders worldwide are making strategic decisions that will shape the specialty’s future identity, visibility, and impact.

This plenary brings together influential voices from academic medicine, private practice, and international health systems to explore why IR departments are evolving — and what those changes mean for patient access, operational success, and long-term sustainability.

Anchored in the SIR 2026 theme, “Creating Communities, Transforming Care,” this session highlights how structural choices can strengthen collaboration, elevate IR’s role within the care continuum, and build the communities required for transformative, patient-centered practice.

This session provides a foundational understanding of IR’s current trajectory — and sets the stage for deeper discussions on workforce, economics, and the future structure of the specialty.

Learning Objectives:

Hospital leadership perspectives on why IR is positioned for departmental independence
Operational and cultural transformation following separation from DR
Financially viable IR-only private practice models
Academic benefits of an independent IR identity
International approaches to IR departmental structure, efficiency, and workforce development