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It is with great sadness that the pediatric radiology community learned of the passing of Janet L. Strife, MD. She died peacefully on May 8, 2019, in Boulder, CO, of complications of Parkinson disease.

Janet spent the majority of her professional career, 1978–2012, as a faculty member in pediatric radiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. During this period of time she held numerous leadership positions including director of the Pediatric Radiology Fellowship Program (1992–2001) and radiologist-in-chief (1992–2002). Beyond Dr. Strife’s numerous achievements during her long career, she stood out among many accomplished leaders for her incredible acts of generosity, kindness and mentorship. During her time as a faculty member and in her leadership positions, Janet profoundly influenced the lives of a very large number of residents, fellows, international observers and young faculty. Almost everyone who passed through the department had a story of Janet’s over-the-top generosity: Janet let me borrow her car. Janet let my family and I stay in her house until we could find a place to stay. Janet organized my baby shower. Because we had no family in town, Janet took my expecting spouse shopping for baby furniture and would not let us pay. Janet found my spouse a job. Janet purchased our baby crib. Janet gave the residents her personal credit card and sent them to the department store to buy a stereo for the reading room. Such stories were not isolated events and were sustained over decades. Through such acts and demeanor, Dr. Strife not only positively influenced the culture within the radiology department at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, but she pushed toward a kinder culture in pediatric radiology in general. Many of the mentees she influenced went on to be expert pediatric radiologists and leaders in pediatric radiology around the globe. Fittingly, in 2001 the department created the annual “Janet L. Strife Award,” which is given to the faculty members who most positively influence department morale. Ironically, but perhaps not surprisingly, Janet received the award baring her name in 2006! Beyond her many other accomplishments, the legacy of Janet Strife comprises a large tribe of people who harbor immense gratitude and feelings of goodwill for her.

Janet Strife was born in Pittsburgh, PA, and graduated from high school in New Jersey. She did her undergraduate training at Oberlin College, which had a great influence on her world viewpoints. She received her medical degree from the New Jersey College of Medicine. She did an internship in pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in 1968. She completed training in radiology and pediatric radiology at a combination of the University of Cincinnati (under Benjamin Felson), Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (under Frederic Silverman) and Johns Hopkins (under John Dorst). After completing training, Janet took a position on the faculty at Johns Hopkins in 1976 and then she and her husband, C. Frederic Strife — a pediatric nephrologist, moved back to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to accept faculty positions in 1978. They remained at Cincinnati Children’s for the remainder of their careers.

The period while Dr. Strife was radiologist-in-chief at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital was a time of great expansion and growth. Faculty grew from 12 to 23 and the department increased in its degrees of sub-specialization, diversity and professionalism. During that time, many initiatives were accomplished, such as the early transition from film to a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and the creation of the Imaging Research Center. Janet always led by example, role-modeling incredibly hard work and unbridled enthusiasm.

Janet had many academic achievements during her career. She had interests in cardiac imaging, airway imaging, obstructive sleep apnea, pediatric obesity, professionalism and radiology education. She contributed more than 120 books, book chapters and original articles on topics in these and many other areas. She received multiple honors for her clinical teaching abilities. At Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, she was awarded the Pediatric Residents’ Excellence in Teaching Award (1991) and the Outstanding Clinician Award in the Department of Radiology (2004).

Dr. Strife played leadership roles in many national radiology and medical organizations. She was president of the Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR) in 2000, president of the Association for Program Directors in Radiology (2003), trustee of the American Board of Radiology (ABR) from 2003 to 2010, and member of the Radiology Review Committee for the American Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) from 2007 to 2012. Through these roles, Dr. Strife championed national initiatives such as restructuring radiology residency, transitioning out of the ABR oral board examinations, and creating the ABR Maintenance of Certification program. Dr. Strife also played leadership roles in the American College of Radiology, the American Association of Women Radiologists, the Radiological Society of North America, and the Association of University Radiologists. Dr. Strife’s national work has been recognized with many high honors. She was the recipient of the Gold Medal from the SPR in 2010, the John A. Kirkpatrick Award from the SPR in 2000, honorary membership in the European Society of Paediatric Radiology in 2001, Lifetime Service Award from the ABR in 2010, fellow of the American College of Radiology in 1993 and the Founders’ Award from the Cincinnati Pediatric Society in 2007.

Dr. Strife was also a staunch advocate for women in the workplace. Recollections from many women within radiology and in other specialties show her influence and support of young women in medicine: Janet told me it was OK to have my house cleaned. Janet told me it was fine to bring my children to the office on weekends if I had to. Janet told me never to apologize for who I was. In this way, Dr. Strife understood that careers are not a one-size-fits-all proposition and took a personal interest in people’s development and realized that needs and directions change over time. She was recognized with the Founders’ Award from the Women’s Faculty Association at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (2004) and the Alice Ettinger Award from the American Association of Women in Radiology (2005).

Janet and Fred Strife enjoyed the outdoors: hiking, walking, biking, swimming and skiing. After retirement, Janet and Fred moved to Boulder, CO, and also kept a vacation home in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. Janet is survived by her husband of almost 52 years, C. Frederic Strife, MD, four children (Christine, Katherine, Susan, and Michael), and 9 grandchildren (Hadley, Cooper, Holly, Cyril, Harper, Dillon, Adelaide, Riley and Ivy).

Janet’s combination of thoughtfulness, kindness, generosity and toughness were unique, and many of us benefited from her wisdom and counsel. We are better for having had her in our lives.