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Happy Nurses Week!

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Happy Nurses Week!

As we celebrate another Nurses Week this year, we take deep pride in the fact that for 18 consecutive years, nurses have ranked as the most trusted professionals in America. From what I have had the privilege of witnessing, this is especially true of the nurses here in the Memorial Healthcare System. Ethics and honesty drive the wonderful care that is provided to our patients and families, and the results have simply been superb. This year was extra special as we celebrated the honor of receiving the highest award for quality bestowed by the Florida Hospital Association for the exemplary MHS Nursing Strategic Plan, which has been put into operation so effectively that the nursing sensitive outcomes produced as a result are second to none. Our team rocks. Our patients benefit.

The theme of this year’s Nurses Week: “Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Nursing the World to Health” is more appropriate than ever. It will be a memorable year. Nurses are literally impacting millions of lives across the world as the COVID-19 virus wreaks its havoc. At the center of care for those seriously affected are the nursing professionals who must maintain a prolonged physical and emotional closeness with their patients at a time the world at large must practice social distancing. While most current conversations are filled with references to having no guide, playbook, or roadmap to address the crisis, nurses have quickly adapted their scientific knowledge and their art of compassion in different ways to meet the needs of those entrusted to their care. They are creating the guide and writing history that will beneficially impact nursing care in the future.

And yet, even with all the hardship thrust upon them, these unprecedented times have not stopped our nurses from quickly adjusting or reshaping the basic tenets of their practice known to produce healing and reduce unnecessary suffering. We see evidence of nurses’ adaptability and perseverance everywhere we turn. In the ICUs for example, nurses now carefully thread the high touch, high tech equipment through a patient’s door to reduce the risk of viral spread. Nurses are also deploying and troubleshooting technological innovations to counter and work around the patient visitation restrictions, to continue facilitating much-needed family and social connections. They celebrate their patients’ milestone achievements in full personal protective gear with as much enthusiasm as they did in easier times.

Just as importantly, nurses also extend care to each other by weaving humor into their workflow in order to lift each other’s spirits and keep everyone in flight. They volunteer to step out of their comfort zones to help their sisters and brothers in hospitals across the healthcare system. There is simply no challenge too large for Memorial Nurses to overcome.

This year we will collect special memories, on which we will surely reflect for many years in the future. We are blessed with the best nurses, the best epidemiologists, and the best resources to be able to see the blue sky ahead through the clouds of our current situation. I am forever grateful to have the privilege of being a nurse on your team, the Memorial Team, and for the opportunity to witness your selfless dedication to our patients, our families, and to each other.

Happy Nurses Week 2020!

With Pride, Hope, and Gratitude,
Maggie

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Aurelio at his desk

Good people are more important than ever.

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It has been an unprecedented time for healthcare professionals working on the front lines of patient care. I can’t tell you how much I admire and appreciate the dedicated and tireless work that I am seeing from our interdisciplinary team here Memorial Healthcare System. Everyone has a unique role to play and we are stronger together than ever before.

Amid the disruption, however, we continue to look for talented people to join us – with Imaging professionals in high demand.

We take pride in being a top employer in South Florida, and are able to offer the most advanced CT, MRI, 3D mammography, ultrasound and digital imaging technologies available today. We also invest in your training and education, always encouraging career growth and development at every level of expertise.

What makes our opportunities truly unique though is what we call the Memorial Experience. A focus on patient- and family-centered care delivered within a supportive culture built on service, teamwork and trust.

Registered and licensed Technologists will find a wide variety of opportunities at our outpatient centers and hospital campuses. I invite you to explore our Imaging careers and apply online today.

 

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Imaging Careers at Memorial

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Grow within a culture of excellence.

Joel Olano, Director of Imaging Services, Memorial Hospital West, is enthusiastic about opportunities for Imaging professionals throughout Memorial Healthcare System. He started his career here as an intern in 2011, was hired as a part-time Echocardiographer and advanced steadily into his current position.

“Once I started at Memorial, I realized there was a willingness to help me grow and advance into a leadership position. I saw that there was some real opportunity here. Leaders would ask ‘are you in interested in growth, do you want a new responsibility?’ I was surprised by how much growth was encouraged,” says Joel.

One thing that is consistent across all Memorial locations is the commitment to a culture of excellence within the Imaging practice. “We hold ourselves accountable to having a low error rate and doing the right thing for the patients,” Joel states. “It’s rewarding when you perform an exam and you go out of your way to dot every i and cross every t, and you follow up to see that the result of your work altered patient treatment for the better.”

As a system, Memorial invests in having the most advanced technologies for CT, MRI, x ray, ultrasound and nuclear medicine. “We are doing interventional radiology with guided procedures, all of your typical diagnostics, and a variety of surgical navigational procedures. We also have a robust OB/GYN ultrasound practice that is one of the largest in Broward County,” Joel lists off. “There is some exciting work coming out of MRI and CT in surgical guidance too. We keep pushing the envelope, especially in cardiac studies.”

When it comes to hiring Imaging Techs, Joel welcomes new graduates as well as experienced candidates. “We hire based on personality,” he stresses. “We look for people who are dedicated to putting patients first, dedicated to working well within a team atmosphere. There is also an expectation to a commitment to excellence. We expect people to be open-minded, be ready to assimilate and fully engross themselves in training.”

“We have a robust training regimen when we hire someone. After that, we support continued growth with our Imaging Mentorship Program and opportunities for Imaging Techs to work into higher modalities. If you start in x ray, we offer intern positions and pay for courses for you to move up to CT, MRI or Nuclear Medicine,” he explains. “My advice is to put your head down, work hard and be vocal about what you desire out of your job. When I started, I told my leaders that one day I’d like to be sitting where they were. The System was more than supportive in helping me achieve my goals. The opportunity is there.“

Memorial is proud to promote from within and values Imaging professionals who embrace our mission of patient- and family-centered care. We put patients first in everything we do, including our involvement in the community as a whole. If you are interested in working in a culture of excellence, alongside people who really do care, we encourage you to search our jobs and apply online now.

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Focus On: MRI

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Innovation and opportunity at work.

Savanna Alvarez, RT (R) (MR), started her career at Memorial Healthcare System almost 12 years ago, after rotating here as a radiology student. “Not only was I one of Memorial’s scholarship recipients, I really liked the culture,” she says. “I was happy to apply for a career here as a radiologist technologist.” After 2 years she accepted an MRI Internship position within the System, where she was provided the opportunity to train at a Memorial facility and obtain her license. Today, Savanna is an MRI Clinical Educator supporting learning and growth throughout our entire healthcare system.

“The technology is always changing, and our Imaging Technologists need to keep up with it. There is a lot of new software, as well as new scanners. Memorial is continually investing in our capabilities and training,” she explains. In fact, the System is unique within the region and offers cardiac imaging at two of its facilities. They also have an MRI Safety Committee that was implemented to ensure the safety of patients and all others within the MRI department. As a result they have also discovered how to scan patients with implants and medical devices that were previously considered unsafe, and would not be able to have an MRI.

“It takes a lot of research and planning to do this sort of work safely,” Savanna says. “We go above and beyond when it comes to patient- and family-centered care. It’s very rewarding. Even though we may have done a test many times, it is different for each patient who is having an MRI. They, and their families, really appreciate what we do.”

Memorial hires licensed and registered radiologic technologists at varying levels of experience, including new graduates. “We will invest in training if you are a good match. But you must be willing and open to learning our way of thinking, our philosophy on patient care, and our way of treating each other,” stresses Savanna. “You will find room to grow here. You can start in Imaging and go anywhere, even into hospital administration. We offer continuing education benefits and even having an Imaging Mentorship Program to help RTs further their careers.”

If you’re an Imaging professional interested in MRI or any of our other specialties, please view our open positions and apply online now.