07 Aug Introducing: Onrad Radiologist Linda Dew, M.D., FRCPC, DABR

We’re lucky to have such an impressive team of nationally recognized radiologists at Onrad. Each doctor brings something unique to the table and does their part in making us a top provider of on-site radiology and teleradiology services.  This week we want to focus on Dr. Linda Dew. Talk about a force to be reckoned with- she is a radiologist continuously working to raise the bar for patient care, radiological expertise and physician relations.

Over the course of her career, Dr. Dew has gained experience working in community hospitals, academic hospitals and outpatient imaging centers. She studied under some of the most impressive radiologists in the game and has become an authority in her sub-specialty; musculoskeletal radiology. 

Her CV speaks for itself, but that is not even what makes Dr. Dew so impressive. Her dedication to patient care and building relationships with her referring physicians is unparalleled by most physicians in her field. This is what makes her so invaluable to Onrad. We sat down with Dr. Dew to learn more about her and how she got to where she is today.

Linda Dew, M.D., FRCPC, DABR of Onrad Radiology

On her musculoskeletal sub-specialty:

In her earlier years, Dr. Dew worked closely with the Chairman of Musculoskeletal Radiology at Rush Presbyterian St Luke’s Medical Center before she selected musculoskeletal for her sub-specialty. She regularly substituted for him when he was unavailable, which meant she had to learn quickly and be just as good as him.

She completed her Musculoskeletal/body fellowship at University of Illinois. She also taught musculoskeletal techniques to radiologists in the fellowship program at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center, where she was an Assistant Professor. She loves the complexity of MSK cases. Her passion for her sub-specialty is beneficial to other Onrad radiologists as well because she can take the pressure off of the team by taking on the more intricate cases.

On her relationships with orthopedic groups:

Dr. Dew Works closely with orthopedic cancer teams, orthopedic surgeons and podiatrists. She develops real relationships with her physicians, asking them about themselves and their preferences when it comes to her reports. This way, they feel comfortable and confident entrusting their patients to her.  Dr. Dew always says the physicians must work as a team in order to really care for the patients. 

She always goes above and beyond for her referring physicians, even giving them her personal phone number so they can call whenever they have issues or questions.  Dr. Dew always makes herself available to speak with the physician, to talk through their concerns or get them a second opinion.  She’s proud to work with other radiologists through Onrad that hold themselves to the same standard.

“They [referring physicians] can literally be sitting with a patient discussing an x-ray and call me for a consult. Maybe they are unsure of whether or not additional imaging is necessary. I’ve also assisted surgeons by consulting on their cases and assisting with their surgical planning. That’s the kind of relationships I build.” – Dr. Linda Dew

On getting involved with Onrad, Inc:

In the early 2000s, she was serving as the Deputy Department Chair of Radiology for Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Illinois, but decided she wanted to have a better work-life balance. So, Dr. Dew joined a group with three other radiologists to read for about 4 MRI centers. A few years later, business was booming and they were reading for over 30 imaging centers. She and her partners kept busy, reading cases for many professional sports teams in Chicago and giving lectures across the country.  After putting themselves on the map, Onrad acquired their group to help grow Onrad’s sub-specialty expertise.

Nowadays, Dr. Dew is the happiest she’s ever been in her career. She likes that she doesn’t have to act as an operations manager or business owner; she just practices medicine. Dew can be more efficient and focus on quality, which is especially important with her complex cases.

On Onrad’s Quality Assurance team:

Thanks to Onrad’s robust, ACR accredited quality assurance program, Dr. Dew can confidently lean on other sub-specialized radiologists for support when her physicians need help. She can share their recommendations without sacrificing her relationships. Every single one of Onrad’s radiologists are required to do 3 case checks per day for the Q.A. program and Dr. Dew said it is very rare that sees any misses, which lends to her confidence in her peers. 

Onrad is always looking for ways to improve patient care and Dr. Dew says she is proud to be a part of an organization with the same values she shares.  “We are able to give patients access to expert care, even in rural areas, providing them with sub-specialty support 24/7,” says Dew.