Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences presents the:
3rd Annual Deitte INSPIRE Lectureship
"Empowering Through Radiology:
Leading the Path to Global Health Equity"
featuring
Kristen DeStigter, MD, FACR, FAUR
John P and Kathryn H Tampas Green and Gold Professor,
Chair of the Department of Radiology,
The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont,
The University of Vermont Medical Center
University of Vermont Health Network
April 25, 2024 | Noon - 1 P.M.
Zoom Lecture with In-Person Viewing Party in MCN CCC-1111
Registration Required
Learning Objectives:
- Highlight the crucial role of Radiology in improving access to healthcare on a global scale.
- Share personal insights and experiences as a woman leader in the field of radiology and global health.
- Discuss challenges and opportunities in addressing disparities in healthcare access and delivery.
- Showcase successful strategies and initiatives for enhancing access to radiological services in underserved communities.
- Inspire and empower fellow healthcare professionals, particularly women, to take leadership roles in advancing global health equity through imaging.
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Dr. Kristen K. DeStigter, MD, FACR, FAUR, is the John P. and Kathryn H. Tampas Green and Gold Professor and Chair of Radiology at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont and the University of Vermont Health Network. With a career focused on education, she was program director of the diagnostic radiology residency program at the University of Vermont for 12 years and served as President of the Association of Program Directors in Radiology (APDR). For 7 years she sat on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Residency Review Committee for Radiology. She has served on various committees for the American College of Radiology. During her 5-year tenure as President of the Vermont Radiological Society, she initiated the first Resident and Fellow Section. She is a recipient of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2016 Outstanding Educator Award, and the 2020 recipient of the APDR Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr. DeStigter’s scholarly interests and accomplishments include unique applications of ultrasound in rural medicine, the provision of integrated medical imaging services in under-served communities, medical education in diagnostic radiology, and global advances in women’s health care. She is a champion of many projects for safety and quality of care in clinical radiology. In the international community, she participated as a member of the World Health Organization Referral Guidelines Development Group as part of the International Radiology Quality Network. She is past Chair of the RSNA Committee on International Radiology Education (CIRE), during which time she led the team to develop the RSNA Global Learning Center, now operational in many countries. Currently, she is the invited Chair of the AUR International Relations Committee. Under her leadership the Committee received membership in the United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Affairs (ECOSOC) Consultative NGO Branch, in addition to developing the first AUR international membership category. She is an invited member of the Executive Committee of the Lancet Commission on Diagnostics, focusing on access to essential diagnostics in low-and middle-income countries and resource-constrained areas in high-income countries, with a Lancet Report published in 2021 and an Update Report in progress. Her publications focus in global health and education, and she is an invited reviewer for several journals, including AUR Academic Radiology.
Dr. DeStigter’s international expertise lies in the implementation of low-cost imaging and other diagnostic solutions in low-middle income countries. Drawing upon her experience in international radiology, education, and leadership, she co-founded a nonprofit organization, Imaging the World, which specializes in integrating point-of-care obstetric ultrasound programs into remote health clinics where specialists and infrastructure are lacking (www.imagingtheworld.org). For the last 15 years, the program has served clinical facilities in rural Uganda, Kenya and Malawi that now have access to reliable imaging, close to home for many patients. Over 500 front-line health care workers received training, with over 3.2 million beneficiaries. Recent expansion includes refugee settlements in Uganda, the islands in Lake Victoria, and rural areas of Kenya. The program has been supported by grant awards, including from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
In 2016, she received the American College of Radiology Foundation Global Humanitarian Award for her work improving medical imaging and access to care. In addition, she received a Certificate of Recognition from the Uganda Society for Advancement of Radiology and Imaging (USOFARI) for providing invaluable resources towards improving breast cancer diagnosis and management in Uganda. In 2018, she received the University of Vermont Citizen of the World Award. She was the 2020 Keynote Speaker for the Opening Ceremony of the RSNA, speaking on, “The Power of Radiology to Drive Collective Action and Transform Global Health.” With a passion for environmental sustainability in global health, she introduced “The Circular Economy” during the AUR2022 Plenary Session. Recently, she addressed the 2nd ISMRM Workshop in New Delhi, describing how the democratization of ultrasound in sub-Saharan Africa could serve as a template for distributing modern MRI technology that is fit-for-purpose in low resource areas. In Vermont and elsewhere, she continues to apply her imaging experience and expertise in rural medicine to new collaborative, transdisciplinary initiatives that improve the health of people and the planet.