Charles Marvin Silverstein, M.D

Charles Marvin Silverstein, M.D., 94, died on November 8, 2016 at his home in Atlanta, Georgia. One of the original founders of Northside Hospital, he was a diagnostic radiologist who practiced for 40 years, the last 22 of which were spent as Head of the Radiology Department at Northside.

A native of Atlanta, he obtained his M.D. from the School of Medicine at Emory University in 1945 where he had earlier graduated college with a degree in Journalism. Prior to his radiology residency, he served in the U.S. Navy in World War II for three years as a primary care physician. While stationed at Key West, Florida, he was tasked with managing a polio outbreak at the age of 19, an era before the Salk polio vaccine. His also worked at Warm Springs, Georgia where he learned the latest in polio treatment therapies.

After completing his radiology residency at Emory Hospital and Grady Hospital in Atlanta, he was a cofounder of the Buckhead Clinic, the first multi-specialty group practice in Atlanta oriented towards primary care. While his key interest was internal medicine, after four years he devoted his career entirely to general radiology. He was a Fellow of the American College of Radiology, and in earlier years was Clinical Associate Professor of Radiology at Emory.

Dr. Silverstein devoted many years of his life to the founding of Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, from earliest conception to ultimate groundbreaking in 1968. In 1970, he formed Northside Radiology serving as the Radiology Department for Northside Hospital, which he continued to lead until 1992. With over 60 radiologists today, the group still operates with the same values of knowledge, service and respect that he embodied.

Following his retirement from Northside Hospital in 1992, Dr. Silverstein published “First on the Hill: Atlanta’s Medical Camelot” in 1993, a definitive history of the founding and early days of Northside Hospital, published by Longstreet Press available on amazon.com. His writing of First on the Hill was not only an important archive of his institutional memory of the hospital’s founding. It was a proud personal achievement and culmination of his life’s work, uniting his journalism background, medical expertise, and 22 year tenure of leadership at Northside Radiology.

An avid tennis player and exercise enthusiast, Dr. Silverstein enjoyed a peaceful retirement at his lakeside home in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

The son of Hyman and Gussie Silverstein, he is survived by his children, Cathy Silverstein and Elizabeth Silverstein, and his grandchildren Amanda Miller and Eric Miller. Dr. Silverstein was a highly respected physician, a true friend, a loving father and grandfather, and unassuming moral compass for everyone he knew. He will be fondly remembered and greatly missed.

At his request, no public service will be held. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Weinstein Hospice 404-352-4308 or the Northside Hospital Foundation 770-667-4483 / foundation@northside.com.