Leonard Berlin, MD (1935–2025), professor emeritus at Rush Medical College and the University of Illinois College of Medicine, was a truly towering figure among radiologists, uniquely celebrated for his clinical acumen and his groundbreaking medicolegal editorial.
His peaceful passing on Wednesday, September 3, aged 90, was mourned widely across the imaging community.
Hired by the 10th Editor in Chief of the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR), the late Lee Rogers, to usher in a new era for the publication, Dr. Berlin’s more than 225 AJR articles repeatedly addressed the delicate intersection of radiologic ethics and errors—fundamentally shaping our specialty’s approach to risk and responsibility.
Among the 2002 ARRS Gold Medalist’s most cited contributions is “Radiologic Errors and Malpractice: A Blurry Distinction,” published in the September 2007 issue of AJR. In this reflective review, Dr. Berlin deftly unpacks the nuanced differences between unintentional diagnostic lapses and actionable negligence, prompting readers to consider both systems-based improvements and individual accountability.
Equally notable is another AJR manuscript from that year advocating for greater transparency in “Communicating Results of All Radiologic Examinations Directly to Patients: Has the Time Come?.” Here, Dr. Berlin asks a simple, albeit pointed question: whether direct communication with our patients is long overdue. In the signature style he cultivated within the pages of “the yellow journal,” he answers dually that clarity and timeliness when conveying findings enhances care and defensibility alike.
Of course, Dr. Berlin’s commitment to ethical reflection continued well into recent years. His 2020 AJR manuscript, “Medicolegal–Malpractice and Ethical Issues in Radiology,” offers an updated meditation on evolving legal and moral challenges facing radiologists in the age of digital record-keeping and shifting standard-of-care expectations. His myriad thought pieces on topics as diverse as outcome bias and the perils of defensive medicine reminded ARRS members, as well as the whole House of Radiology, that imaging isn’t solely about what’s on the film or the screen in front of us; indeed, it is also about understanding responsibility and the very human impact of our mistakes.
Dr. Berlin’s name endures, too, through the Leonard Berlin Scholarship in Medical Professionalism, which was administered by ARRS’ own The Roentgen Fund®. From more than a decade, the “Lenny Scholarship” helped to cultivate so many leaders in the field, including AJR’s present Editor in Chief, Dr. Andrew Rosenkrantz.
“Dr. Berlin’s made an immeasurable impact on radiology through his decades of commentaries, editorials, talks, and other contributions, to share his deep knowledge and experience on medicolegal issues, communications, and ethics,” said Dr. Rosenkrantz. “All of us in radiology learned and benefitted from his unique insights and perspectives in these areas. He will be greatly missed.”
An “extraordinary leader, educator, mentor, and friend to so many,” 2019 Berlin Scholar Dr. Richard Duszak wrote in remembrance.
Leonard Berlin’s funeral will be held this Sunday, September 7, at 1:30 PM Central at Beth Hillel Bnai Emunah in Wilmette, IL. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that contributions be made to the Jewish United Fund.