Senate committee advances bill to allow remote diagnostic mammograms with written consent

The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on Monday advanced House Bill 14‑29, a measure to allow diagnostic mammograms to be performed by remote radiologists for patients in rural Arkansas if a radiologist is immediately available by telemedicine and the patient signs a disclosure acknowledging that in‑person evaluation is preferred.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Shepherd, told committee members the measure was prompted by staffing shortages at rural hospitals: "This is really, an accessibility issue," he said, adding the proposal came from his local hospital in El Dorado and was cosponsored in the House by Representative Johnson and Senator Urban.

Supporters, including radiologists who testified, said telemedicine reading would preserve access where on‑site radiologists are unavailable. John Metters, a radiologist with Radiology Associates, said radiology already relies on off‑site reading for most imaging and described Arkansas’ workforce challenges: "We can't recruit against Georgia and Texas, so we don't have…