Page 11 - The Clare Connection_Summer 2019 Flipbook

“Perhaps the most satisfying and enjoyable aspects of my career were interactions with clinical
colleagues, as well as teaching residents and technologists.” —ANDY POZNANSKI
RESIDENT PROFILE

“I vividly remember landing in Baltimore and walking to the “All of a sudden, you could separate muscles, blood vessels,
train with armed guards lining the path to make sure we fat and more,” Andy says. “You saw anatomy so much
didn’t escape into the United States,” Andy says. better.”
Andy Poznanski: One Step Ahead This was in sharp contrast to the joyful reception they Of course, these advancements kept Andy on his toes.

received upon arrival in Canada. “I had a lot of learning to do,” he jokes.
Embarking on a Career in Radiology Andy gradually eased his way out of his career in radiology,
Andy attended McGill University in Montreal, studying retiring as Chair of the department at age 68 and working
mathematics and physics. Upon graduation, he decided part-time for the next 12 years.
to pursue medicine at McGill, a choice that propelled him
to become deeply involved in the emerging specialty of Through it all, from his flight from Europe to his challenging
pediatric radiology, to engage in ongoing research, and later work life, Andy proved to be resilient, adaptive and modest.
to become a member of the American Board of Radiology. “It was hard, of course,” Andy says. “But I was fortunately

He obtained his U.S. citizenship and completed his residency able to face difficult situations and deal with them.”
at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit in 1960, where he remained
on staff and set up a pediatric subsection within the
department. Andy developed several devices to make X-ray
procedures easier and more comfortable for children, and
he oversaw a significant expansion of the department.
From there, he moved on to become a Professor and Co-
Director of Radiology at the Mott Children’s Hospital at
the University of Michigan. After 11 years in Ann Arbor,
Andy came to Chicago in 1979 as a Professor of Radiology
at Northwestern University and Radiologist in Chief at
Children’s Memorial Hospital 1979 (presently Lurie Children’s
Hospital of Chicago), known there affectionately as “Dr. P.”
Andy and his family in Canada
During these years, not only did he share his knowledge
with future doctors, but he was also recognized as an expert
in radiology of the hand, particularly identifying symptoms
of congenital malformations.
“Perhaps the most satisfying and enjoyable aspects of my
career were interactions with clinical colleagues, as well as
teaching residents and technologists,” Andy says.
Over the course of his career, Andy became president of
three national and international professional organizations
and received four gold medals for contributions to radiology,
frequently lecturing at conferences worldwide. He was also
a member of the International Commission on Radiological
Protection. Always involved in research, he authored three
books, coauthored another and found time to publish more
than 200 articles centered on the radiology of the hand,
growth and development, and congenital malformations.
His multi-decade career allowed him to experience Portrait of Andy hanging in the
tremendous change in the field of radiology. Department of Medical Imaging at
Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
“That’s the amazing thing, and that’s why it was so exciting,”
Andy says. “When I first started, all we had were X-rays and
wet film.”
Then, processing improved considerably, and nuclear
medicine and ultrasound were introduced. CT was the next
major development, followed by MRI.