David M. Naeger, M.D.,
Director of Radiology, Director of Radiology
Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Radiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Subspecialty Focus: Cardiac and Thoracic Imaging, Nuclear Medicine
Dr. Naeger serves as the Director of Radiology at Denver Health, with oversight of the department’s clinical, research and educational programs. In his role as one of the institution’s Departmental Directors, he serves as part of the senior leadership team of the health system. Dr. Naeger also serves as a Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Radiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Dr. Naeger earned his medical degree at Duke University School of Medicine, where he graduated AΩA (Alpha Omega Alpha), the most widely recognized honor society in medicine. After medical school, he moved to the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF) to complete his residency in Diagnostic Radiology, during which he served as a chief resident and was awarded the prestigious Elmer Ng Award. While at UCSF, Dr. Naeger completed a research fellowship and remained after his residency to complete clinical fellowships in Cardiac & Pulmonary Imaging and in Nuclear Medicine. After his fellowships, he was appointed to the faculty at UCSF, ultimately serving in a Departmental Associate Chair role, with a focus on Education, and the co-director of the Henry I. Goldberg Center for Advanced Imaging Education. In 2019, Dr. Naeger joined Denver Health as the Director of Radiology, and Professor and Vice Chair in the University of Colorado Department of Radiology.
At Denver Health, Dr. Naeger oversees a team of 141 FTE, including radiologists, technologists, RNs, transporters, clerks, and administrative staff. Denver Health performs 280,000 imaging examinations per year at multiple in-patient and out-patient sites, including a recently opened state-of-the-art outpatient imaging center. Denver Health Radiology has undergone tremendous growth, overall and in targeted service lines, with an overall expansion of the complexity and variety of services offered. Denver Health radiology sponsors its own fellowship and is the largest affiliate rotation site for University of Colorado Radiology residents.
Dr. Naeger has consistently been honored for his excellence as a leader, researcher, and educator in radiology. Dr. Naeger has served in numerous leadership roles at Denver Health, at the University of Colorado, and at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Naeger is a member of 11 medical/radiology societies, and holds 19 leadership roles including a Board of Directors membership and numerous committee chair roles; he also serves/served on executive committees and program planning committees. Dr. Naeger has served on grant review committees/study sections, including overseeing an educational granting program at the University of California, San Francisco. He currently is an associate/assistant/deputy editor for three journals, including top journals in the field, and is a reviewer for 9 additional journals. Dr. Naeger has served as a course director extensively throughout his career.
Dr. Naeger has given over one hundred invited international, national, and regional talks, including speaking in Taiwan, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Canada. Many of Dr. Naeger’s talks were Grand Rounds given throughout the US.
Dr. Naeger holds a Fellowship of the Association of University Radiologist (FAUR) and is slated to join the Fellowship of the American College of Radiology (FACR) at the 2024 convocation. Dr. Naeger has won the prestigious UCSF Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award, which is given to only two institution UCSF faculty members per year. Dr. Naeger has been awarded the Society of Thoracic Radiology Presidents’ Award, and has been inducted into the Academy of Medical Educators at both UCSF and the University of Colorado.
Dr. Naeger has authors 94 peer reviewed manuscripts, 13 book chapters, and 65 abstracts. Dr. Naeger’s research and interests focus on novel curricular programs that enhance the education of medical students, residents, fellows and practicing radiologists. He has also conducted research on clinical considerations in the daily interpretation of radiologic images, with an emphasis on the imaging and diagnosis of lung cancer, lung biopsies, chest imaging and PET/CT imaging.
In his leadership service at Denver Health, the University of Colorado, and at UCSF, Dr. Naeger has a notable record of promoting diversity and inclusion policies and programming. Specifically, via his Department’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, he has helped to improve access to mentored clinical and research experiences for historically underrepresented groups in radiology. As Associate Chair for Education, he promoted Diversity and Inclusion programing in all programs, including awareness of biases, barriers to inclusion, and the importance of diversity in our workforce.
