What is The Interventional Initiative?

The Interventional Initiative is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization with a public service mission to educate and engage the public and clinicians about the value of minimally invasive, image-guided procedures (MIIPs). Our mission is achieved through multiple initiatives including public-centric multimedia productions and the development of clinical resources.

The Interventional Initiative was founded in 2015 by Susan R. Jackson, MBA, RT(R)(CV) and Isabel G. Newton, MD, PhD and started producing engaging infographics and the award-winning series Without a Scalpel. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we expanded our team and initiatives to include patient decision aids to make informed consent an informed choice for MIIPs.

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Want to help us raise awareness of and access to MIIPs? Tell us about yourself HERE.

Why we care?

The US. Department of Health and Human Services called a lack of health literacy a "critical problem", and it is not unique to patients. 

Even the most astute primary care providers have little familiarity with the breadth of MIIPs options, which limits their ability to inform patients of their MIIPs options. Though MIIPs offer cost savings, many hospital administrators and policy makers are unaware of their value and do not promote them at the institutional and systems levels. 

Interventional Radiologists and other specially-trained physicians perform these cutting-edge procedures all across the world, but most people have never heard of them. Most have no idea that minimally invasive, image-guided procedures exist and if these procedures could help them. Advances in this field happen so fast that it is hard to keep up or even understand what is out there.

We formed this nonprofit group to engage the public and clinicians about the value of minimally invasive, image-guided solutions, increasing awareness and access.

What we believe

We believe that people deserve to understand their options so they can choose what is best for them and their families. Patients empowered to make informed healthcare decisions have better outcomes. Increased public and clinician awareness about MIIPs will lead to 

  • More informed healthcare choices

  • Better access to MIIPs

  • Better healthcare outcomes

  • Overall healthcare cost savings as MIIPs are better utilized

  • Greater allocation of healthcare resources to support MIIPs

  • More funding of research and innovation to advance MIIPs

Board of Directors

Isabel Newton, MD, PhD

Chair of the Board

Dr. Newton is a physician-scientist practicing in the field of Interventional Radiology at the VA San Diego Healthcare System and UCSD. She is Creator, Executive Producer and Writer of the documentary series, Without a Scalpel.

Margaret Simor, MSN, BSN, RN

Treasurer

Ms. Simor is a Registered Nurse and former hospital administrator with expertise in the executive management of Minimally Invasive, Image-guided procedures.  She has designed and managed quality assurance and patient outcome programs for several major hospitals in the SF Bay Area.

Aneesa Majid, MD, MBA 

Vice Chair of the Board

Dr. Majid is a physician and entrepreneur who works with VIR Chicago in Chicago, IL. She is a founder and CEO of ZipData, Inc and brings a long history and breadth of business and operation skills to the board.

Eric J. Keller, MD, MA

Secretary & Webmaster

Dr. Keller is an interventional radiologist with a background in medical anthropology and bioethics. He founded the Applied Ethics in IR Working Group and started collaborating with the II to create better patient decision aids for MIIPs to ensure informed consent is an informed choice for patients and families.

Helena Rockwell, MD

Junior Board Member

Dr. Rockwell is currently a future Interventional Radiology resident physician at UC San Diego. She engages in various initiatives within the II to assist with product development and volunteer / trainee engagement, and she has also co-produced Without a Scalpel.

Past Board Members

Susan R. Jackson, MBA, RT(R)(CV)

Brooke Spencer, MD

Darren Klass, MD, PhD

Team Leaders

Elizabeth Cummings, MBA, CCRA,CMPE 

Director of Strategy

Elizabeth Cummings is a prominent figure in the interventional radiology business community where she has held executive roles in strategy and marketing, management consulting, and medical practice management. Ms. Cummings has additional expertise in organizational performance systems and change management, clinical research, and medical affairs in both the pharmaceutical and MedTech industries.

Albert Song, PhD

Director of Grants & Research

Dr. Song is an MD/PhD candidate at UC San Diego in his final year of medical school. He received his PhD in biophysics and structural biology from Scripps Research.

Team Members

Kirsten Finstad

Graphic Designer

Juliet Percival 

Graphic Designer

Denise Tieu

Director of English Focus Groups

Consuelo Sauceda

Director of Spanish Focus Groups

Advisory Board

Anne Roberts, MD

Hal Coons, MD

Frank Facchini, MD

Rod Raabe, MD

Barry Katzen, MD

Atul Gupta, MD

Roger Jackson, MD

Allie McKay, DPT, PRPC

Lindsay Machan, MD

Richard Saxon, MD

Daniel Sze, MD, PhD

Frederick Keller, MD

Steve Rose, MD

Brooke Spencer, MD

Darren Klass, MD, PhD

Leona Benson, MBA, MS, ARRT