For the 10 Questions series, we spoke with Safwan Halabi, MD, about his job and the future of radiology.
In this series, 10 Questions, we ask the same questions to a diverse group of professionals who work in medical imaging. Taking a cue from Twitter, we’ve limited each respondent’s answers to 140 characters.
Here, we profiled Safwan Halabi, MD, a radiologist with Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.
1. Please state your name, title and the organization you work for.
Safwan Halabi, MD, Director of Imaging Informatics, Henry Ford Hospital
2. How did you get where you are today?
I experienced the transition to PACS and speech recognition systems and wanted to be on the front lines of the health IT revolution.
3. Why did you choose your profession?
Medical imaging plays a vital role in every aspect of medical practice. The advancements in radiology were extremely appealing.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_crop","fid":"12021","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image media-image-right","id":"media_crop_4115028332961","media_crop_h":"279","media_crop_image_style":"-1","media_crop_instance":"237","media_crop_rotate":"0","media_crop_scale_h":"127","media_crop_scale_w":"100","media_crop_w":"219","media_crop_x":"44","media_crop_y":"20","style":"margin: 5px; float: right; height: 203px; width: 160px;","title":" ","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]4. What is an average workweek for you?
50 hours/week clinical work at hospital. 10-20 hours of clinical teleradiology from home. 5-10 hours/week administrative and IT meetings.
5. Where do you think radiology is going?
Radiology is redefining its role in medicine by branching out to directly communicate to the patient/health consumer.
6. What one thing would make your job better?
Better communication (person-to-person) with referring providers and patients
7. What is your favorite thing about radiology?
The culture to improve safety and quality through innovation
8. What is your least favorite thing about radiology?
Overutilization of medical imaging by way of financial incentives (self-referral) and defensive medical practices
9. What book would you recommend to other professionals in radiology?
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
10. If you could give the radiology industry one piece of advice, what would it be?
"First, do no harm." It may be better not to do something, or even to do nothing, than to risk causing more harm than good.
If you would like to be considered for the series, please contact David Fuhriman at david@bernmedical.com.
10 Questions with Eliot Siegel, MD, FACR, FSIIM
10 Questions with Richard Duszak, MD, FACR
10 Questions with Matt McLenon
10 Questions with Tessa Cook, MD, PhD
10 Questions with Cynthia Sherry, MD
10 Questions with Lawrence R. Muroff, MD, FACR
10 Questions with Vijay M. Rao, MD, FACR
10 Questions with Paul H. Ellenbogen, MD, FACR
10 Questions with Jonathan Flug, MD, MBA
10 Questions with Garry Choy, MD, MBA
10 Questions with Geraldine McGinty, MD, MBA
FDA Clears Enhanced MRI-Guided Laser Ablation System
June 5th 2025An alternative to an open neurosurgical approach, the Visualase V2 MRI-Guided Laser Ablation System reportedly utilizes laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) for targeted soft tissue ablation in patients with brain tumors and focal epilepsy.
Can Abbreviated MRI Have an Impact in Differentiating Intraductal Papilloma and Ductal Secretion?
June 3rd 2025For patients with inconclusive ultrasound results, abbreviated breast MRI offers comparable detection of intraductal papilloma as a full breast MRI protocol at significantly reduced times for scan acquisition and interpretation, according to a new study.
Can AI Assessment of PET Imaging Predict Treatment Outcomes for Patients with Lymphoma?
June 2nd 2025The use of adjunctive AI software with pre-treatment PET imaging demonstrated over a fourfold higher likelihood of predicting progression-free survival (PFS) in patients being treated for lymphoma, according to a new meta-analysis.