Department Spotlight: Imaging
June 15, 2023
The imaging department is where scientific precision and patient connection come together in harmony to help diagnose a multitude of conditions. When a mystery needs to be unraveled, experts in X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, echocardiography, mammography and nuclear medicine step in to provide a deeper lens into each patient’s inner workings. At Renown Health, our imaging specialists exemplify this and more.With the inpatient teams at Renown Regional Medical Center and Renown South Meadows Medical Center and many outpatient locations across Reno and Sparks, our dedicated and compassionate imaging and radiology technologists make this symphony of healing a melodious reality. Through the lens of their expertise and the state-of-the-art equipment at their fingertips, the invisible becomes visible, pain transforms into answers and the path to recovery.
A Picture Tells a Thousand Words
Every patient image tells a story, and Renown’s Imaging department is full of master storytellers. From X-rays that capture the intricate architecture of bones to MRIs that unveil the complex structure of organs, these team members use sophisticated techniques to make sure every patient receives the highest standard of care.
Within the imaging landscape, no day looks the same – and each team can expect a different set of challenges to overcome, all while helping providers gain better diagnostic clarity.
“Every day in imaging is a little bit different, and I love that,” said Savannah Terrana, Outpatient CT Scan Technologist at Renown X-Ray and Imaging – Vista. “We start like everyone else: getting our rooms stocked and ready for patients and protocoling the day's exams. We have a lot of different types of scans, like x-ray, CT and bone density, and a variety of conditions that we are evaluating for the ordering providers, like fractures, cancer, bleeds and more.
“When we get into work, we get a daily assignment that decides whether we are in one of our outpatient or inpatient rooms,” added Ireland Bennett, Echo Technologist at Renown Regional. “Then when we are on inpatients, we get our assignments for whether we are assigned to transesophageal echocardiograms, the cath lab or pediatrics. When we are on outpatients, we get a set schedule for the day with patients every hour from 7:15 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. We do our best to be efficient as possible to not delay any patient care or discharges.”
“X-rays aren’t just for bones; we do chest X-rays to look for pneumonia and intestinal issues, and we also do fluoroscopy, which is a live video X-rays while patients drink contrast or while surgeons fix fractures with screws and other hardware in the operating room,” said Amethyst Winters, Inpatient Diagnostics Imaging Lead at Renown South Meadows. “There is a lot of variety, and we provide imaging for patients in the entire hospital.”
Equipped with advanced technologies and the unique skills they acquired in a trade program, at the university-level or in the military, the Imaging department can deliver precise and comprehensive information to help providers make accurate diagnoses. And their role transcends beyond the image scanner.
“A typical day for an MRI Technologist depends greatly on outpatient or inpatient settings,” said Sean Fryer, Supervisor of Imaging for Renown X-Ray and Imaging – Pringle. “There is a lot of screen time and usually in dark areas, but this is where our technologist skill set comes into play – manipulating parameters to either increase quality by signal/resolution or decrease them a little to gain time."
“A day in the life as an ultrasound tech would of course be performing ultrasounds on our patient community, but there is much more to it,” added Mary Rushton, Ultrasound Specialist at the Renown Breast Center. “This includes keeping rooms clean and stocked with supplies, protocoling exams and studying patient history so you can give the best patient care possible, continuing education and training to keep up with new technologies and being an aide to your radiologist. Working with many different personalities, you recognize that you cannot complete every step of the patient care process all by yourself – it requires collaboration from your team to give the ultimate patient care experience."
Mary brings up an excellent point about the wide variety of people her team meets every day, on both the patient and employee side, with the common goal of solving diagnostic mysteries. This aspect of their work has become one of the highlights of their career.
“Working in imaging allows us to meet many members of our community,” Teresa Shutts, Breast Health Coordinator at Renown X-Ray and Imaging – Pringle. “We are responsible for providing imaging exams, managing patient needs and creating a comfortable and caring environment for people who are possibly going through the worst times of their lives.”
Along with every day being different, our Imaging team members thrive in their dynamic and fast-paced work environment, where efficiency and urgency are vital, especially among a constant stream of patients in need of timely diagnoses.
“Our days in CT are very fast paced,” said Shelly Lavin, Imaging Lead for Inpatient Diagnostics at Renown Regional. “Our modality is the first choice for assessing stroke and trauma patients. We are fortunate to have very competent tech aides who help work up CT orders by checking orders, IV status and labs. We generally have inpatients scheduled every half hour, and we work these around a very full ER list. When we get extremely busy, we have to strategize how we schedule our patients in the various scanners to expedite exams and not delay patient care.”
“We provide patient care for those who come in for emergencies, trauma, inpatient care, surgery and fluoroscopy studies,” added Sean Elliott, Inpatient Radiology Technologist at Renown Regional. “I was always told in school that our main purpose was to help doctors better diagnose patients, and imaging provides many modalities to appropriately diagnose.”
Behind-the-scenes, our Imaging surgery schedulers are the keys to ensuring each appointment runs smoothly, communicating directly with patients to get their exams off to a good start.
“Every day it is my task to make sure we have everything we need to do the exam that is ordered for a patient,” said Isela Gonzalez, Surgery Scheduler for Renown X-Ray and Imaging – Double R. “This includes the order, authorization approval, completing the protocol, confirming the appointment, re-stating the address and directions, going over any prep for the exam and giving them their estimate cost for the exam. I always do my best to give the patient the best experience possible.”
Whether they are in the weeds of radiology or in the depths of patient coordination, Renown’s Imaging department is unmatched – and the direct beneficiaries are their patients.
Passion for Compassion
While our Imaging team members are highly skilled and knowledgeable, their efforts don’t stop there. They also possess an extraordinary capacity for kindness and compassion, approaching each patient with genuine empathy and understanding as they enter an uncertain and sometimes intimidating stage of their care journey.“We show kindness, understanding and patience to all patients and employees so that everyone can feel safe doing their job to the best of their ability,” said Mary Rushton. “A huge part of a patient care role is to have compassion for patients. The day a patient comes in for their ultrasound could very likely be the most nerve-wracking day of their week; it's our job to be understanding and kind to ease the patient's anxiety and give them the best experience they can have."
“We assist each other to provide a calm – and sometimes, even fun – environment for our patients,” added Amethyst Winters.
The Imaging department is the poster child for Renown’s cultural commitment of “Caring,” demonstrating their personal investment and dedication to everyone they serve through their words and actions to help alleviate their fears in a way they can understand.
“Our team can reduce a patient's anxieties by explaining exactly what their test entails and allowing patients the ability to ask questions in a comfortable environment,” said Carter Roth, Nuclear Medicine Technologist at Renown South Meadows. “For example, many patients are worried about possible side effects with our radioactive isotopes. We reassure patients that they won't have any side effects with the isotopes."
“Strong eye-to-eye communication is key for all patients, regardless of what exam they are getting,” added Tina Gomez, Mammography Technologist at Renown X-Ray and Imaging – Vista. “Their concerns and questions should be addressed before any exam step is taken, and a ‘layman’s terms’ explanation should be given before and during the exam. I like to ensure my patients feel like they are a person, not just an exam. Empathy and patience are key.”
“I always ensure patients know that their provider will receive results quickly and that if there is anything emergently concerning, the radiologist will reach out to their provider by phone,” added Krista Anderson, Ultrasound Technologist at Renown South McCarran.
Claustrophobia, which is the fear of confined spaces, is a common fear among patients, especially when going through a tight-spaced MRI or CT machine. Luckily for patients, their trusted imaging specialists are there with them every step of the way to relieve this frequent fear.
“Our patients are sometimes claustrophobic, and we have to work with the patient to get them through the scan,” said Shelly Lavin. “We keep a close eye on patients for any reaction to contrast, even if they have had it before. By talking to our patients and giving them as much information as possible about what to expect, we find patients more easily tolerate their exam.”
“Our technologists are experienced with handling patients with fears, and the big one for us is claustrophobia,” added Sean Fryer. “Our technologists will talk to the patient as much as the scanner allows. Some scanners even have music capabilities, and we have movies that can be watched and listened to throughout the exam.”
Talking through each patient’s anxieties and allowing them a comfortable space to ‘zone out’ is not just a luxury – it’s an important part of the exam and pivotal to achieving the best diagnosis.
“We get a lot of anxious patients,” added Savannah Terrana. “We just talk them through every detail, try to make them as physically comfortable as possible with warm blankets, cushions, dim lighting and more, and we also try to take their mind off of what may be causing them anxiety by just getting to know them.”
As an integral part of each patient’s care team, patients can rest assured that they are in the best of hands from start to finish.
“Renown has great doctors, nurses, CNAs and staff members who will work together to give you the best health care that you deserve,” said Jay Magarin, Cardiology Technician at Renown Regional.
“Image-in” a Career at Renown
Discovering a career that also cares about you is an easy task when it comes to Renown, and the Imaging department is no exception. These teams are actively hiring experienced professionals who are ready to Fight the Good Fight with us and feel that immense sense of satisfaction knowing that they are helping patients solve their healthcare mysteries.“Working in imaging has been so rewarding,” said Teresa Shutts, Breast Health Coordinator at Renown X-Ray and Imaging – Pringle. “We have created strong relationships with patients and community partners that allow us to continue to do the wonderful work we are doing.”
Exceptional time managers and team players are especially welcome at Renown Imaging. Those two qualities are some of the most telling signs of a great employee in this department.
“A good coworker in the department that I work in is someone that is a hard worker, someone who is always up for a challenge and someone everyone can depend on,” said Emma Behrends, Inpatient Ultrasound Technologist at Renown Regional.
“One trait that makes a good technologist is excellent time management skills,” added Carter Roth. “Being able to take advantage of these wait times to be productive with other patients and tasks allows one's workday to go smoothly and efficiently."
Beyond the scan, each Imaging team member is a valuable part of every patient’s care team. Being successful as an imaging specialist requires caring deeply about each patient and understanding the bottom line: a deeper insight into the workings of their body.
“Imaging techs aren’t just picture takers; we are knowledgeable in our fields and can be a really helpful part of the care team,” said Ireland Bennett. “We enjoy getting to be around patients and being a part of finding a diagnosis so they can get the best care.”
“We have to collaborate effectively for anything to work efficiently or properly,” added Mary Rushton. “All of our roles require kindness, understanding, patience and hard work. Getting creative to find ways to keep people bringing their best selves to work could go a long way.”
Showcasing flexibility and seamless adaptability – with a positive attitude – are also crucial traits to this team. Their touch of humor not only lightens the atmosphere but also instills confidence and reassurance in patients and fosters a sense of camaraderie within the team.
“Our team is full of people that are team players who step-up to help outside their normal daily roles when things get busy,” said Dawn Smith, Inpatient Vascular Ultrasound Technologist at Renown Regional. “It’s important to have a willingness to be flexible with schedule changes and a sense of humor.”
Despite what imaging modality becomes your calling, your trusted team at Renown Health is ready to welcome you with open arms and give you a chance to grow, learn and thrive.
“Imaging is a great profession, no matter which modality you're in. Renown has a great team, and I am grateful to be a part of it,” closes Savannah Terrana.