Following a national search, David M. Naeger, MD, FACR, FAAR, has been named the next Chair of the Department of Radiology at Dartmouth Health and Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine.
Naeger comes to Dartmouth Health from Denver Health, Denver’s primary safety net healthcare system and premier Level I trauma center. He has been the Director of Radiology there since 2019 and oversees a team of 160 individuals who contribute to the department’s clinical, research, and educational programs. Naeger also serves as Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Radiology at Denver Health’s academic affiliate, the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
During his tenure at Denver Health, Naeger oversaw a period of tremendous clinical and academic growth for the Department. He proposed and oversaw the rebuilding of the Department’s Interventional Radiology program, including the build out of a combined CT/angio suite, the first in the state of Colorado. He also led the team that opened an advanced outpatient imaging facility which now completes more than 100,000 imaging exams a year.
Naeger will be responsible for the overall direction, operation and management of the Department of Radiology and will collaborate and coordinate with other Dartmouth Health System member hospitals regarding clinical programs and academic and research opportunities. Through his leadership position within Geisel, he will be responsible for faculty development and mentoring toward academic advancement while actively fostering a culture of excellence and academic curiosity for the Department’s physicians, advanced practitioners, students, residents and fellows.
“Though I’m very sad to leave my Denver Health family, I’m drawn to the energy, expertise and enthusiasm of the entire Dartmouth Health radiology team,” said Naeger. “The radiologists, trainees, technologists, nurses, administrators, and support staff are all patient-focused, incredibly skilled, and engaged; I’m honored to be joining the team!”
Naeger received his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine followed by a residency in diagnostic radiology at the University of California, San Francisco, where he served as Chief Resident. Naeger completed a research fellowship, as well as two clinical fellowships in cardiothoracic imaging and nuclear medicine. Before joining Denver Health, Naeger was an Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco where he also held a number of key leadership positions in medical education. Those roles included Associate Chair for Education, Co-Director of the Henry I. Goldberg Center for Advanced Imaging Education, and Co-Director of the Innovations Funding Program for Medical Education. Naeger was the recipient of the prestigious UCSF Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award, and has also be recognized by numerous awards from radiological societies recognizing his contributions to the field. Naeger is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in cardiothoracic imaging with a focus on the imaging of lung cancer.
Naeger will begin work in August 2024, filling the role previously held by Jocelyn Chertoff, MD prior to her retirement.