"It is critical to know exactly what is wrong."

"I come from a large family of accomplished professionals in the business world in India," says Dr. Prakash Malkani, "but I wanted to do something in which I would make a difference in someone else's life. My family encouraged me to go into medicine.

"During an elective course in radiology over 30 years ago, I took an immediate liking to the specialty. It was exciting to find hidden secrets in shades of grey that can make all the difference to a diagnosis. Being interested in neurosciences, I pursued research in head trauma-the information that we obtain from CT scans and MRI is vital to a neurosurgeon before he or she can open up somebody's skull.  Similarly, you cannot treat a seizure or stroke patient properly without an accurate diagnosis.

"In the last twenty-five years, I've seen radiology develop from the basic X-ray into a very sophisticated technology that uses CT scans and MRI's to pinpoint tiny lesions for early and accurate diagnosis and treatment. Today, virtually every patient that comes to the hospital ends up requiring one or more radiologic test, and various vascular and neurovascular diseases are routinely treated with radiology."

After completing medical school and residency in diagnostic radiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr. Malkani chaired the department of radiology in Hinduja hospital in Bombay, India, for five years. He pursued further studies at the New York Medical College in neuroradiology, earning board certifications in radiology and neuroradiology.  He practiced in Saginaw, Michigan, for ten years prior to moving to the Berkshires in 2003.

At Berkshire Health Systems, Malkani says, "we are now able to provide rapid and accurate diagnosis and twenty-four hour coverage for interventional services. When a patient comes in with trauma, we can find subtle fractures and brain hemorrhages that we could not see before. This leads to quicker diagnosis and shorter stays in the hospital.  Radiology has had a huge impact in improving the quality of care."

Dr. Malkani and his wife, who works for HospiceCare in the Berkshires, have two teenage daughters. He enjoys golf for recreation.