Amanda King @kingamandap

MondayAug31,2020at7:00AM

Dr. Michael Winkler says you cant predict the future, but he thinks the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University is on its way to being one of the top medical schools in the country and he plans to be a major part of that.

The new chief of cardiology and thoracic radiology plans to enhance the use of 3D and 4D images that show patients what their issues are instead of using flat images on a screen. The images help to better explain medical complications and upcoming procedures to patients who might only have a high school education, he said.

"If they have, for example, a congenital heart defect, we can show them the part that is healthy and the part that isnt," he said. "That gives them empowerment."

Those images will also help medical students and surgeons as they prepare for procedures.

Winkler hopes to continue to expand the free lung cancer screenings at the hospital. Annual screenings are recommended for asymptomatic adults age 55 to 80 who have a 30-pack per year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit smoking within the past 15 years.

With 150,000 Americans dying of lung and bronchial cancer each year, the screenings could save lives. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force found that annual screening for lung cancer in high-risk patients can prevent a substantial number of lung cancer-related deaths. In 2017, Georgia had 6,929 cases of lung and bronchial cancer.

"Its a powerful tool and tremendous value," Winkler said.

Winkler comes to AU from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and UK Health, where he was an associate professor and director of UK Healths Gill Heart Institute International Research and Education Fellowship in Cardiovascular Imaging. His primary reason for choosing to come to AU was Dean David Hesss vision for the medical school and the new facilities and integration at the university.

"Augusta University is on the cusp of becoming a nationally known powerhouse, and because it has medical and dental it will be quickly on par with Georgia Tech and Emory," he said.

See the article here:
New MCG chief of radiology uses creative imaging to communicate with patients - The Augusta Chronicle