PITTSBURGH – Emergency radiology leaders should prepare for a continuing surge in imaging volumes and staffing challenges, according to a presentation given at ARRS 2026.
Emerging technologies and market considerations should be considered in the face of daunting workforce challenges, said Jamlik-Omari Johnson, MD, from Northwestern Medical Group in Chicago, in his talk.
Jamlik-Omari Johnson, MD, presents at ARRS 2026 on how emergency radiologists can brace for future workforce trends, including staffing challenges and increased patient and imaging volume.
“The workforce is evolving,” said Johnson, former president of the American Society of Emergency Radiology (ASER). “The younger culture coming into the workforce has different needs and expectations which will begin to shape how we all think about taking care of ourselves within the work space.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, when many healthcare workers were relegated to temporarily working remotely, many have pursued better work-life balance and alignment.
The healthcare industry faces a projected 11% shortage in workers, according to a 2025 report by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. The report also projected a 12% shortage through 2038.
A 2025 report by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute (HPI) found that the radiology attrition rate increased from 1.1% in 2014 to 2.5% in 2022 (it reached 2% by 2019.) Projected imaging growth by 2055 will range from a 17% increase in MRI to a 25% increase in CT.
And radiology is one of the top three medical specialties in which clinicians have the highest intent to leave their current job, according to a 2025 report by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Jamlik-Omari Johnson, MD, outlines challenges that today's emergency radiologists face and how AI could help.
Having a well-working emergency department (ED) is key to successfully and efficiently image patients and move them toward appropriate care while freeing up space for more emergency patients, Johnson said. This work adds pressure to imagers and clinicians to move patients as EDs are more in demand.
“ED volumes are responsible for a lot of the overall volume for hospital admissions,” Johnson said. “It’s a gateway.”
Market consolidation
Johnson outlined several ways emergency radiologists should consider market consolidation. These include payer and hospital consolidation, cost and efficiency pressures, technological advancements, private equity investment, and shifting payment models.
These factors affect practices in several ways: lowered practice count, shifts from smaller to larger practices, more negotiating power for larger practices, less autonomy for radiologists, and increased activity regarding mergers and acquisitions.
Recent trends also suggest that younger radiologists are affiliated with multiple practices. A 2025 study found that a more recent graduation year was significantly linked to a higher likelihood of multiple affiliations.
Johnson challenged attendees to go back to their institutions to have seats at the table and have these conversations with hospital leaders.
“We need to make sure that as radiology is evolving, for those of us who are practicing emergency radiology, that we have our voice heard,” Johnson said.
Johnson explains some pitfalls that emergency radiology leaders should avoid when considering workforce challenges.
How AI could help
Johnson said emerging technologies such as AI should be explored to improve workforce efficiency. He added that radiologists should not shy away from AI due to concerns about how it may affect employment.
“I don’t think that in five years, we’ll be out of a job,” Johnson said. “But 25 years from now, who knows what the world will look like?”
AI today could help with image acquisition and reconstruction, as well as with tasks like report generation, which could help alleviate stress on radiologists and technologists. Johnson said there is a partnership in this space between AI and emergency radiologists that should be embraced by health institutions.
“There are ways that [AI] can help and augment, but we’re not there yet for it to replace us,” he said.
With this in mind, Johnson called for attendees to think about where the pain points are in their emergency practice and how AI could help.
