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#IamMGH tells the stories of our people. Meet Dr. Noah Ditkofsky, Chief and Medical Program Director of Medical Imaging at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH).
“I’m the Chief and Medical Program Director for Medical Imaging at MGH and I practice as a full-time physician. My role goes beyond clinical work. I manage our radiologist team and, to a degree, the technologist team in terms of medical quality and patient safety. It’s a balance of medicine, leadership and responsibility.
Our radiology program is built around a unique model. We have a core group of 11 full-time radiologists dedicated solely to our hospital and are supported by another 14 who provide evening, weekend and overnight coverage. It’s a large, diverse team and every person plays a crucial role in making sure we deliver 24/7 continuity of care.
While I’ve been at MGH full-time for almost three years, my connection to this hospital goes back much further. In previous years, I supported the team by doing overnight and weekend shifts while also running emergency and trauma radiology at St. Michael’s Hospital. My long-term plan was to always come back later in my career, finish my work here and give back to my community. The opportunity came sooner and I’m grateful it did.
What I love most about MGH is that we genuinely put patients first. If something needs to change, we change it. Medicine doesn’t always work that way anymore, but MGH does.
Interestingly, radiology was not my original career plan. As a medical student, I thought I’d be a plastic surgeon. Everything shifted when I attended oncology rounds and watched radiologists quietly guide the entire discussion. I decided to take an elective in radiology to learn more. It soon became clear how central radiology was. A radiologist is almost invisible to the patient when it comes to their care, but they form such an important foundation for the provision of that care. I was impressed by the scope of their knowledge and how even though they are almost invisible, they were so crucial to providing patient care. The images that guide treatment decisions aren’t interpreted by computers or by the doctors showing them to patients. They’re interpreted by a radiologist who sees the full picture. That responsibility drew me in.
My training took me across the country and beyond. I grew up in Toronto, completed medical school at Queen’s University, residency in Newfoundland, a fellowship in emergency radiology at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital and a staff position in Atlanta. I missed Canada though, and when the chance to become the first emergency radiologist in Toronto (at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre) presented itself, I took it. I then founded the ETAC (Emergency, Trauma and Acute Care) radiology at St. Michael’s Hospital to strengthen trauma care in the city. Eventually, I came to MGH to serve the community I live in.
The most rewarding part of my job is solving the unanswered question. We conduct a lot of imaging to try to uncover what’s happening with a patient. But sometimes, it’s about putting together pieces of a clinical picture to find what no one else can see or to provide the clarity that a patient has been searching for. Being part of that discovery is deeply meaningful.
The hardest part of radiology is that it connects to almost every corner of the hospital. Almost every patient who comes through our doors needs imaging, whether it’s from the Stavro Emergency Department (ED), surgery, oncology or obstetrics. One moment I could be discussing a case with one clinician and the next, I’m shifting into something completely different and because medicine evolves so quickly, we can’t afford to get left behind. We’re involved in so many clinical pathways that our team has to stay flexible, keep up with evolving medical advances and provide accurate interpretations across every specialty. It can be demanding at times, but it’s why our work matters and is rewarding.
When I think about MGH’s values, integrity resonates with me most. My dad always told me there are two things no one can take from you, your education and your word. I’m very cognizant of the fact that my words matter and my words go into patients’ charts. Integrity guides how I lead, how I care for patients and how I support my team. When I commit to something, I follow through.
In my role as a medical director, I make decisions using three questions:
When the answer is yes to all three, the decision is easy. When it’s more complicated, that’s where leadership matters.
One example where these three questions were considered was when we were looking to implement 24/7 CT coverage in the ED. It was a major change that clearly benefited patients and the community, but it was more challenging for the team. We approached it carefully, focused on sustainability and built a schedule that worked for staff who prefer night work. A year later, it’s running smoothly and improving patient care every day.
At the end of the day, everything we do comes back to helping our patients. If we stay true to that, we’re doing the right thing.”
