MIR Faculty Recognized with Dean’s Impact Award

Four faculty members from Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been selected to receive the 2023 Dean’s Impact Award. The award honors faculty whose superior effort represents the highest level of professionalism, innovation and compassion to help lead the WashU medical community through unprecedented times in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andrew J. Bierhals, MD, professor of radiology, serves as vice chair for quality and safety as well as vice chair for community radiology. He worked tirelessly to develop and update the clinical protocols and safety efforts for Barnes-Jewish Hospital as well as the nine other hospitals in the MIR network. Learn more about Bierhals’ work here.

James R. Duncan, MD, PhD, professor of radiology, helped develop bedside approaches for dealing with complex COVID-19 cases including drainage of pleural effusions under ultrasound guidance and placed many central access lines in COVID-19 patients at the bedside. Learn more about Duncan’s efforts here.

Vamsi R. Narra, MD, professor of radiology and senior vice chair for clinical imaging informatics and new business development, spearheaded the use of remote reading rooms to ensure radiologists could continue to interpret images and safely deliver diagnostic services throughout the pandemic. Learn more about Narra’s work here.

Katie D. Vo, MD, professor of radiology and chief of neuroradiology, helped deploy decentralized reading rooms at multiple locations, including off-site WashU buildings and physician’s homes. She also developed workflows for trainee education which included regular teaching conferences and Zoom readout sessions. Learn more about Vo’s efforts here.

Read more about MIR’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Focal Spot Magazine.