Radiologist passes away after tragic skiing accident in Utah
Douglas Green, MD, a radiologist at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, died last week in an avalanche while skiing in Utah. He was 49.
The avalanche took place near Gobblers Knob and was over 600 feet wide, according to KUTV, a local news station based out of Salt Lake City. Another skier, Tyson Bradley, was with Green at the time. Bradley was injured in the avalanche, but survived and is recovering at home.
Green was an associate professor of radiology at UW, specializing in CT and MRI. He was also chair of the 2015 meeting of the Washington State Radiological Society (WSRS).
Norman Beauchamp, MD, chair of radiology at UW, praised Green’s generosity as he shared the tragic news with radiology department faculty and staff.
“All of us who know Doug are aware that there is not a more caring person in the world,” Beauchamp wrote, as quoted by the university. “His genuineness, selflessness, and unmatched devotion to teaching and patients serves as an inspiration to all. Doug is a role model for how we should treat others.”
Debra Alderman, executive director of the WSRS, said the organization was excited to have Green on board.
“This was his first year leading and he had committed to doing a couple more years,” Alderman said, as quoted by the university. “He was a fine person and we were really looking forward to him taking a leadership role.”
Alderman added that everyone close with Green knew skiing was a big part of his life.
“He organized his life around it—being in Utah during winter quarter so he could ski,” Alderman said. “The guy was high-energy; you couldn't slow him down.”
The Utah Avalanche Center’s full report of the incident can be found on its website.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.