Key message from board meeting:‘ Where you get your health care matters’
Some of the most memorable moments in life involve people we’ ll probably never meet. On a trip to Disneyworld, kids may never meet the person who designed Mickey’ s costume or powdered the face of Cinderella. At a five-star restaurant, diners will likely never meet the fisherman who lured in the catch of the day featured on the dinner menu.
For patients who have questions, like“ How bad was my stroke?” or“ How big is the tumor in my breast?” it’ s the radiologist, most of the time working behind the scenes, who helps find the answer. By reviewing and interpreting images, radiologists have a critical role not only in a patient’ s diagnosis, but also in presurgical planning and assessing response to therapy.
At the most recent Baylor Health Care System Foundation board meeting, members heard from Gregory dePrisco, M. D. Dr. dePrisco is a diagnostic radiologist on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas and director of the MRI Fellowship Program.
“ Radiologists represent the last link in the diagnostic chain,” said Rowland K. Robinson, president of Baylor Health Care System Foundation, as he introduced Dr. dePrisco.“ The conclusion about an imaging study does not rely merely on the technical quality of the image. Rather, it relies on the expertise of an experienced radiologist to evaluate, interpret and determine the diagnosis.”
Importance of Radiology
Dr. dePrisco gave board members a brief overview of the history of radiology in general, and highlighted Baylor Scott & White Health’ s efforts to be on the leading edge. For instance, within a year of the development of the world’ s first CT scanner in 1973— which was financed by Electric and Musical Industries, the London firm that also produced albums for The Beatles— Baylor Dallas had one of its own.
Supporting such a robust radiology program has allowed Baylor Scott & White to excel in other areas that rely on experienced, well-trained radiologists and access to advanced
Jim Hinton visiting with board members during the meet and greet
medical imaging tools. Many of the System’ s most recognized programs, including transplant, oncology, cardiology, gastro-enterology and others, depend on radiology to provide quality patient care.
“ Where you get your health care matters,” Dr. dePrisco said, emphasizing that radiologists on the Baylor Dallas medical staff must have completed a fellowship in a subspecialized field of radiology.
To underscore this point, Dr. dePrisco shared a personal story. Eight years ago, while holding his infant daughter in his arms, he began feeling dizzy. He set his daughter down in her crib and tried to put on his slippers. When his wife, Michelle Nichols, M. D., asked him what was wrong, he was incoherent.
Realizing her husband was having
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