Anand Lalaji on Building Trust in Healthcare Leadership

Anand Lalaji shares insights on radiology, leadership, and building a purpose-driven healthcare business from the ground up.

Anand Lalaji is the co-founder and CEO of The Radiology Group, a leading teleradiology organisation with a strong focus on rural healthcare, musculoskeletal imaging, and patient-first innovation. His career has spanned decades of clinical practice, medical leadership, and systems-level change in diagnostic radiology.

Born in Hell’s Kitchen, New York, Anand’s upbringing was shaped by working-class grit and high expectations. His father was a nuclear engineer; his mother, a practising OB/GYN. He attended Bronx High School of Science, where he balanced academic rigour with varsity baseball and volleyball. At Binghamton University, he played volleyball as a setter and performed as a jazz drummer—two roles that built his foundations in discipline and teamwork.

After completing medical school at SUNY Downstate in 1998, Anand trained at Chestnut Hill Hospital (University of Pennsylvania), followed by a radiology residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a musculoskeletal radiology fellowship at Wake Forest University.

Now at the helm of The Radiology Group, Anand champions ethical leadership, team-driven practice, and community impact. His foundation supports mental health research, women’s leadership in sport, and causes like pancreatic cancer and ALS.

In his own words: “Success isn’t about one big moment. It’s about small, reliable actions over time.” That same philosophy has defined his leadership and shaped the culture he’s built around clarity, connection, and care.

Interview with Anand Lalaji: Leadership in Radiology and Beyond

The Radiology Group CEO on Trust, Training, and Teleradiology’s Future

Q1: Anand, your journey started in New York City. How did your early life influence your leadership style?

Growing up in Hell’s Kitchen and then moving to Queens and Long Island, I saw a lot of different people, situations, and expectations. My parents had strong work ethics—my dad worked in nuclear engineering, and my mum was an OB/GYN. They didn’t talk much about “success.” They showed it through discipline and reliability. I’ve taken that with me in business. I’d say my leadership style is steady, not flashy. I trust the people I hire and give them room to do what they’re good at.

Q2: You studied at Bronx Science, Binghamton, and then completed a long clinical pathway in medicine. What kept you going through all that?

It wasn’t always easy. At Bronx Science, everyone’s sharp. At Binghamton, I balanced science coursework with being a setter on the volleyball team and a drummer in a jazz group. Honestly, that helped. Volleyball taught me how to support a team. Drumming taught me rhythm and patience. In medicine, especially in radiology, you need both—coordination and calm under pressure.

Q3: What was a defining moment in your clinical training?

During my radiology residency at Albert Einstein, a trauma patient came in one night—bad car accident. I had minutes to interpret the scans. There wasn’t room for mistakes. That moment made it clear: success isn’t about titles. It’s about being dependable in critical situations. You don’t always get praise, but people are trusting you with their lives.

Q4: What led you to co-found The Radiology Group?

I wanted to practise medicine differently. Too often, physicians are reduced to numbers. We wanted to create a model where radiologists could focus on quality without burnout. Teleradiology was growing, but it wasn’t always built around people. So we thought—why not build something that worked for patients and doctors alike?

Q5: What do you see as the biggest challenge in radiology today?

Two things. First, burnout. Radiologists are reading more studies than ever, with tighter timelines. Second, rural access. A lot of hospitals outside metro areas don’t have the staff or resources they need. That’s where we come in—to provide reliable support, especially in under-resourced communities.

Q6: Your foundation supports women’s leadership in sport and mental health initiatives. Why those causes?

I played volleyball all through school and university. As a setter, my job was to set up the play—not spike the ball. That mindset shaped how I lead. I’ve seen how sport builds confidence, especially for young women. Mental health is another cause close to my heart. In healthcare, we see people struggling in silence all the time. It deserves more open dialogue and serious support.

Q7: What advice do you give young professionals entering healthcare today?

Don’t chase someone else’s definition of success. Take the time to figure out what kind of work makes you feel useful and engaged. Also—learn to listen. Whether you’re in business or medicine, being a good listener makes you a better leader.