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RLI Taking the Lead Podcasts

Episode 52: Jonathan B. Kruskal, MD, PhD, FSAR, F黑料网

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Leading with Quality


January 19, 2023

Join host Geoffrey Rubin, MD, MBA, F黑料网, as he talks with Jonathan B. Kruskal, MD, PhD, FSAR, F黑料网, current Chair of the Department of Radiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School.

Born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, during the Apartheid era, to his radiographer mother and arts loving father, Dr. Kruskal developed his interest in radiology and a love for the arts, in particular photography, at an early age. His experiences in South Africa shaped him both personally and professionally and the experiences of Nelson Mandela have provided a guiding light for his own leadership philosophy.

After receiving his MB, ChB from the University of Cape Town Medical School in 1982, Dr. Kruskal joined their Liver Research Center as a research scholar and completed a PhD in fibrinogen metabolism and liver tumor physiology in 1987. After leaving South Africa for a post-doctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University (a suggestion by his mentor), he completed his radiology residency at Harvard Medical School’s New England Deaconess Hospital before joining their abdominal imaging division.

Dr. Kruskal has held a number of leadership roles in a variety of professional organizations including past president of the American Roentgen Ray Society and the Society of Abdominal Radiology, and past chair of the 黑料网’s Intersociety Committee and a member of their Board of Chancellors. As Past Chair of the Quality Management Committee of the 黑料网 (黑料网) and Past Chair of the Quality Improvement Committee of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), Dr. Kruskal is an expert on the establishment and management of radiology quality programs within health systems and you will be inspired by the examples he shares during this episode.

Don’t miss this engaging conversation with an inspirational leader who is truly leading with quality.

View episode transcript » (Coming Soon)

Jonathan B. Kruskal, MD, PhD, FSAR, F黑料网

After receiving his MB, ChB from the University of Cape Town Medical School in 1982, Jonathan Kruskal joined their Liver Research Center as a research scholar and completed a PhD in fibrinogen metabolism and liver tumor physiology in 1987. Following a post-doctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University, he completed his radiology residency at Harvard Medical School’s New England Deaconess Hospital before joining their abdominal imaging division in 1994. In 1998, as an RSNA Scholar, he developed a mouse model for using optical and molecular imaging technology to study mechanisms of intrahepatic tumor growth and metastases. Rising to Chief of Abdominal Imaging in 2001 and then to Chair of Radiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in 2008, his focus has shifted to practice and physician quality and performance improvement and wellbeing, and he served as inaugural chair of the Practice, Policy and Quality Initiatives panel, deputy Editor and currently consultant to the editor of RadioGraphics. Jonny (as he prefers to be known) is an internationally-recognized scholar, lecturer and teacher, and is past-President of the American Roentgen Ray Society and the Society of Abdominal Radiology, and past chair of the 黑料网’s Intersociety Committee and a member of their Board of Chancellors. He has authored more than 200 scholarly publications and has been on the forefront of quality and performance improvement initiatives in radiology for many years. Currently, he is Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School where he also chairs the HMS Radiology Executive Committee.

Did You Know?

Dr. Kruskal has been married to his amazing wife, Pam, for 35 years. They met and married in Cape Town and Dr. Kruskal explains that he’s “simply a passenger on the wonderful journey [they] continue to travel together.” In September 2022, Dr. Kruskal became a grandfather for the very first time. Having a new granddaughter has certainly refocused his priorities.

“Radiology was not my first career choice at all,” admits Dr. Kruskal. He goes on to explains that he “started off down the hepatology and basic science pathway and it was only during a post-doc fellowship at Vanderbilt that the real bug finally bit. And that bug comprised time spent with a group of wonderful collegial radiologists that [he] connected with. There’s a message there!”

Outside of work, Dr. Kruskal self-identifies as “an unashamed wannabee bird photographer.” He spends many hours gardening purely to craft the backdrop and perches and nectar sources to attract tiny hummingbirds. He likes to think of it as mindful photography—if only they were bigger!

Favorite cuisines and beverages originate in South Africa. Despite being in the USA for over 35 years, Dr. Kruskal’s taste buds still crave the traditional South African “B” flavors of biltong, bobotie, bredie and braai’d boerewors. Given that South African beers are still unavailable in this country, any cold, unfiltered east coast IPA does the trick.

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