UM SRH Cardiovascular Services team members celebrated Cardiovascular Professionals Week February 7-11. The Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals’ theme this year was, “Hearts in Harmony” and the ACVP highlighted the teamwork of cardiovascular professionals throughout the profession. According to the ACVP, “Truly, cardiovascular professionals work as a team to strengthen care in healing the hearts of individuals, families and communities. What can be achieved by modern cardiovascular care is nothing short of amazing, and it wouldn’t be possible without the many diverse professionals—not only the doctors but also the technologists and nurses providing crucial support and ensuring quick, safe, accurate and compassionate care.”
Melissa Svehla, BS, RVT, RDCS, Manager, Cardiovascular Services, said, “Cardiovascular Professionals Week is a time to highlight our Heart and Vascular care team. This team is full of dedicated individuals that are extremely knowledgeable and very compassionate. They are making a difference in our communities and I feel so blessed to be a part of this exceptional team.”
Last year, UM SRH performed 7,111 cardiac ultrasounds, more than 4,000 vascular ultrasounds, 2, 242 stress tests and 34,334 EKGs throughout the five county region.
“Cardiovascular diagnostic testing provides the care team with findings that make it possible to effectively treat cardiovascular disease,” Svehla said. “Early detection is key, so if you have a family history of cardiovascular disease or other risk factors, it is important to discuss with your health care provider which diagnostic testing might benefit you.”
Here’s what some of our Cardiovascular Services team members had to say about why they love their profession and what inspired them to this field in health care:
Cardiac Sonographer Jennifer Mullikin, BS, RDCS: “The best part of my job is helping sick patients using ultrasound and comforting them by just listening to their needs. I am also fortunate enough to work with an amazing team that even makes the toughest days better.”
Cardiovascular/EEG Nursing Tech Ebony Taylor, CNA, CMT: “The thing that inspired me to become a cardiovascular professional would be my stepfather and stepbrother. My brother was 18 years old when we were told that he needed a defibrillator. He spent about three months in the hospital at the University of Maryland until he had enough strength to come home. My stepfather also had heart issues and eventually had to have a heart transplant. The cardiac staff that took care of him did such an amazing job that I wanted to be able to give that same care. When my brother almost passed away some years ago, one of the cardiologists that I had the pleasure of working with in my role as a Cardiovascular Tech worked tirelessly to save my brother’s life. All these things made it clear that cardiology would always be near and dear to my heart, and that I had to be a part of it.”
Kelsey Pfifer, BS, RVT, Vascular Ultrasound: “I like working in vascular ultrasound because every day is different. We do several different types of testing and each one poses different challenges. This field allows us to constantly have to think about what could be causing a problem and how to find and demonstrate the issue on ultrasound. I love that this keeps me constantly learning and engaged.”
Eric Karge, MS, Lead Physiologist: “The best part of my job is knowing that everyone I am trying to find heart disease in is either a friend, a friend’s family member, or a friend’s friend. It’s a small community here and we are all deeply connected. Service jobs like ours allow exactly that, to serve and to connect to our community members in their time of need. I have the distinct privilege of serving the community that created me. Being born in Easton hospital and spending my formative years in both Easton and Preston, there isn’t a better feeling than knowing you are taking care of the ones that took care of you. This place was here for me when I was born, it will be here for myself and my family members now, and later on it will be here for us again when we need it. That same sentiment can be applied towards our entire community. We will be here when they are born, we will be here for their families now, and we will be here for them later on when they need us. Knowing that I play a part, no matter how large or small, in that incredible privilege, is the best part of my job. Without this place I wouldn’t be here, and I am speaking towards both this community and this hospital when saying that.”
Cardiac Sonographer Susan Fletcher, BA, RDCS: “The best part of my job is the people that I meet and knowing that I have helped them in some way.”
Thank you to our Cardiovascular Professionals for all their hard work, every day!