Meet the Doctors: Kristin A. Freestone, MD, FACR

Meet Kristin A. Freestone, MD, FACR – Body Imaging & Musculoskeletal Radiologist

How, when and why did you decide to pursue a career in medicine?

I got interested in pursuing something that would serve others when I was a kid. I think my passion for helping others came from my parents.

My mom, now retired, was a high school teacher who taught and counseled continuation students and young expectant mothers for over 30 years. Before my dad became an organic farmer and helped to create the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) certification, he was an infantry officer in the Marine Corps.

Growing up in the small farming community of Orosi, California, I recognized that my parents were both leaders who played instrumental roles in other people’s lives. And I’ve carried that with me throughout my career.

Even during my time in school, I’ve always been drawn to both serving patients and serving my country. I stayed close to home for my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the University of California at San Diego. I attended medical school at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, during which time I was able to earn the US Army Health Professions Scholarship.

What do you like most about your job?

I love that my job has not only taken me all over the world but given me the opportunity to meet so many different people and hear their stories.

I’ve enjoyed working in all kinds of settings, from private practices to academia to serving as an Army physician — which I still spend time doing today as an LTC in the U.S. Army Reserves, most recently being deployed as a physician with the 75th Combat Support Hospital in Kuwait at Camp Arifjan, supporting USCENTCOM theater combat operations.

CRNAs of the 75th Combat Support Hospital, LTC Freestone-Maniatis, front row, end right

No matter where I am, I keep my parents’ public service and continued dedication top of mind. It’s stuck with me everywhere my career has taken me, from The Presidio to Kuwait to the White House. This approach is what helped me to become chair of the Head and Neck clinic at the Denver Tech Center and become a Fellow in the American College of Radiology (FACR) in 2015. That Fellowship inspires me to constantly stay on the cutting edge of technology and research in radiology.

What is your favorite way to spend free time (away from work)?

Even though I’ve been lucky enough to practice in different settings all over the world, we love it right here in Colorado. Spending time with my family is my greatest joy, including afternoon rides with our horses or having conversations with our very talkative parrot. My husband is a Military Intelligence Officer and Space Operations Officer assigned to the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command, and we have two lovely daughters together. We still make it back to California every year, but our other favorite destination is Hawaii.

What do you like most about working at RIA?

My goal is to provide you with the highest quality care not just in Colorado, but in the imaging industry. That’s why I’m always striving to keep learning and keep improving, and RIA gives me that opportunity.

For me, patients are more than images on a computer. They’re the students my mom counseled through difficult times, the soldiers my dad trained for combat and the sons and daughters of parents like me.