What is your current position?   Manager / Technical Director of the Echo Lab

 

When and how did you get involved in cardiac ultrasound?   I had been working in the Cardiovascular Research Lab at Texas Heart Institute and the 10 year NIH grant that I was working on was ending. I was approached by the chief of Cardiology at Texas Children’s Hospital who asked if I would be interested in working in the Echo Lab. Since I was so familiar with cardiac anatomy from a surgical perspective, I was very interested to be given the opportunity to learn echocardiography. That was 18 years ago and I’ve enjoyed every minute in the Echo Lab since then. 

 

What type of facility do you work at?   I work at a large pediatric hospital. We are a University teaching hospital, so we have a large fellowship program. We train Cardiology fellows and are also a clinical site for a local school with an Ultrasound program. Texas Children’s also provides echocardiography support in community Health Centers and area hospitals.

 

When and how did you get involved with ASE?   Dr. Tal Geva and the Pediatric Council of ASE invited me to serve as the sonographer member on the Council. It was a great experience that I was so grateful to have had.  From there, one thing led to another!  I’ve been involved with and served on the Sonographer Council, the ACCME Committee, the Education Committee, the Nominating Committee, and now most recently the Advocacy Committee. I have been a faculty speaker at the ASE Scientific Sessions, including most recently a talk in the Sonographer session on Adult Congenital Heart Disease. I also serve on the ICAEL Board of Directors.

 

Why do you volunteer for ASE?   I have enjoyed meeting all the cardiac professionals from around the country. It has been a wonderful learning experience for me. I truly value being able to contribute to my profession and being the voice for the pediatric community on some of these committees is very important to me.

  

What’s your advice to a sonographer who wants to be more involved in their profession and ASE?   First of all, become an ASE member! The web site has so much valuable information. Attend local society meetings and ask the society leaders how you can help. The various committees are always looking for volunteers and you can apply for the open positions on line each year. Finally, attending the annual Scientific Sessions is a great way to meet others in your profession, learn what is new in the field of echocardiography and network with other sonographers. 

 

What is your vision for Cardiac Sonographers in the future?   The future of Cardiac Sonography and in particular pediatric Cardiac Sonography is growing by leaps and bounds. Research yielding new procedures and surgeries to correct congenital heart defects in children is an ongoing process. We are seeing many more children survive these successful surgeries today than we have in the past. These children will be seeking treatment and follow-up as adults. We see this already as Adult Congenital clinics become increasingly busier. It will be important to continue to monitor these individuals long term. In the future, ultrasound schools will include more pediatric specialties in their curriculums and the field will continue to grow. Finally, credentialing and continuing medical education will continue to be essential to keep quality as a top priority in each and every Echo Lab.