Gift Supports Both Duke Health Patients and School of Medicine Radiology Residents

A family of five standing outside Duke Chapel

This is a summary of a story on the Giving to Duke Health website. 

Second-generation physician and Duke University alumnus Vijay Ramakrishnan followed in his father’s footsteps and became a radiologist. Vijay’s two brothers also became doctors, and he hopes someday one of his children will practice medicine. 

To give back to radiology and Duke, Vijay and his wife, Praveena, have made a $3 million gift designed to benefit both patients and radiology residents. In partnership with Duke Health, they have established a $2 million innovation fund for cutting-edge radiology equipment to advance patient care, and a $1 million endowment for the Department of Radiology to support resident education and training. 

The Radiology Suite on the first floor of Duke Medical Pavilion will be named for them. “Not only will their gift have a direct and lasting impact on resident training, but it will also enable the department to respond swiftly to emerging clinical needs and invest in advanced imaging technologies in our hospitals and clinics, improving patient care,” said Dr. Erik Paulson, chair of the Department of Radiology 

Vijay lives in rural Virginia with his family, close to his parents. He humbly refers to himself as “a country radiologist,” reading every image generated in the hospital there and performing image-guided procedures to diagnose and treat disease. 

“Radiology is a huge part of our family and a big part of our lives,” Vijay said. “I’d say it is our origin story. It’s where we started, and I’m blessed to have continued it.” 

To read more of Vijay’s story, go to the Giving to Duke Health website.