The Harry T. Harper, Jr. MD School of Heart and Vascular Technology, A Program of University Hospital`s Georgia Heart Institute

My experience as an educator first began in college, when I would host Anatomy & Physiology study sessions at my house to help other students in my class. I graduated from the Armstrong Atlantic State University School of Radiology (formally, The Memorial Medical Center School of Radiology) in Savannah, Georgia, and came to Augusta in 1980 to complete my B.S. degree in Radiology at the Medical College of Georgia. I worked in radiology while I attended school and I decided to obtain my master’s degree. In 1985, after the completion of my MBA degree from Augusta State University, I transferred from the radiology department to the cardiac cath lab at University Hospital. As I worked, I found myself needing to understand what I was doing and why during a cardiac cath procedure (this was during the late 1980’s). I began to read and study about the field of invasive cardiology. Two other technologists and I decided to take the basic science and Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) registry for the RCIS credential, and passed. My position as an educator coordinator for the cardiac cath lab at University Hospital in Augusta began after my director asked that all cardiac cath employees at University Hospital become registered. This occurred in the late 80’s. Soon after, we started working on the proposal for the CVT School, thanks to the inspiration of Dr. John Kelley, who is the cardiac track Medical Director of the Cardiac and Vascular School, and my director, Teresa Waters. We accepted our first set of students in 1992 and graduated the first class in 1994. Our cardiovascular school was the 4th school in the country to become accredited. How long has your program been in operation? The program has been in existence since 1992, the year we accepted our first class. Describe your program syllabus, both clinical and classroom. Presently, we have an affiliation with Augusta Technical College, which allows us to offer an associate degree in cardiovascular technology. We are affiliated with the University of South Carolina, (Columbia, SC) offering a BS degree in Cardiovascular Technology. Students attend the College and University for general education classes and University Hospital for the cardiovascular program. How many students do you accept each year? Have you seen an increase in applicants over the years? We accept 25-30 students annually. Yes, we’ve seen an increase in applicants. The general applicant population seems to be made up of people who want to change careers. What backgrounds do students generally have? Mostly students arrive as biology or chemistry majors, LPNs, or have a background in Respiratory Therapy or Exercise Physiology. What is your program’s annual tuition? $3,200 per year. What textbooks, CDs, and/or websites are used in your classes? We use: 1. Cardiac Catheterization Angiography and Interventions, Baim, Grossman (Williams & Wilkins Co., 1996); 2. Medical Instrumentation for Nurses and Allied Health-Care Professionals, Richard Aston and Katherine Kay Brown (Jones and Bartlett, 1994); 3. Basic Dysrhythmias, Robert Huszar, MD (Mosby-Year Book, Inc., 1994); 4. ECG Workout, Jane Huff. 5. (CDs): Heart and Vascular A & P, Blood Gases, Cardiac Dysrhythmias; 6. Various downloads from the web. We also have PowerPoint classroom presentations with LCD projectors for all classes, which also allow us to visit (as a class) several cardiology imaging websites. What types of clinical experiences do you offer students? We offer our students 1040 clinical hours for all three tracks with a 1:1 ratio for preceptor to student. Students are provided with an introductory clinical experience. They learn how to communicate with patients, push wheelchairs, stretchers, answer the telephone, take messages etc. This occurs during the first year. The second year consists of several weeks of pre-clinic prep and then the actual clinical rotations begin. The last quarter is reserved for an internship. We encourage students to do their 10-week internship where the student plans to get a job after graduation. Are your students cross-trained? Yes, they function fully in all capacities just as our preceptors do at University Hospital and at other affiliated sites. In the cardiac cath lab, they learn monitoring, circulating and scrubbing. Who does your classroom and clinical teaching? Including myself, we have a total of 4 instructors: Cardiac Catheterization Educator: Elisabeth Frails, RT(R), RCIS, MSN. She has 12 years experience in health care, 10 years in cardiac cath, and 4 years as an instructor. Vascular Technology Educator: Sharon Jenkins, ASRT, BSDMS, RDMS, RVT. Sharon has 25 years of health care experience and 18 years of vascular experience. Non-Invasive Cardiology Educator: Janice Anderson, RN, BSN, RCS. Janice has 30 years experience in health care, 25 years in non-invasive cardiology experience, and 15 years as an instructor. What is the employment outlook for your graduates? We’ve had 100% job placement for the past 10 years. I see this continuing far into the future. What are typical starting salaries for graduates? It depends on the area. The average for our graduates for the past three years has been $39,000. What career opportunities have past graduates experienced? Our previous students have obtained positions such as Cardiac Cath and Echo Directors, supervisors, contract employees, etc. Is there currently a demand for graduates of accredited CVT programs and will there be demand in the future? Yes! I am unable to graduate enough students to fill the demands of recruiters. How successful have graduates been at passing the RCIS exam? Very successful. During the past 5 years, we’ve averaged an approximate 95% pass rate for the invasive track. How has the CVT program evolved over the past 5 years? We added our Vascular Track, which has been approved by the State of Georgia. We’re seeking JRC-CVT accreditation for 2003. Invasive Web Registry Prep. Certificate of Credit was approved by the State of Georgia. Applicants must have two years of Interventional Cardiac Catheterization. Army Career Degree SOCAD. An Army Degree Builder program was added for the U.S. Army. Applicants must transfer in Army CVT program credits to qualify at this time. BS Degree Affiliation. The CVT school will be adding a second sponsorship so that a BS Cardiovascular Degree can be awarded by the University of Columbia “ South Carolina. What do you consider unique about your program? In addition to my answer to the previous question...We’ve had 100% support from: University Health Care administration; Preceptors and Employees at University Hospital’s Cardiac and Vascular Labs Preceptors in the CSRA CVT school educators; Augusta Technical College administration; Cardiovascular Pulmonary Director, Teresa Waters; Program Directors, Dr. John Kelley (cardiac) and Dr. Robert Johnson (vascular); The CVT School’s Advisory Board; Cardiology and Vascular Physicians We are also the only accredited cardiovascular school in the state of Georgia. What advice can you give to students considering the CVT school? First, you must want to help and care for patients. Research the field extensively, because it is a huge commitment. Set up observations to review the operations of the field. Complete general core classes prior to starting CVT classes. Possess excellent work ethics and a code of conduct. Finally, be a good team member! Can you share a particularly proud teaching moment? We just celebrated our 10-year anniversary and decided to hold a reunion celebration. We invited all 115 graduates of the program. In the middle of the event, the graduates were asked to come to the center of the floor and then I was called to stand before the group. A gift was presented to me and all the graduates applauded. It hit me like a ton of bricks that I had truly made a difference in the life of each and every person that was standing around me. It was a moment that sent shivers down my spine. For the past 10 years, I have done the best I could to help each of my graduates to become successful. Ten years passed me by very quickly and I have the gray hairs to prove it! For some reason, I did not realize how many people I had touched. It is a wonderful and proud feeling to know that I have been part of the lives of 115 graduates and their families. I know this must be what I am supposed to do because it feels fantastic! A question for your students. Why did you choose to become a CVT? It is a growing and exciting field. I was always fascinated by the heart, and this is what I want to do. My grandfather died of a heart attack, and I wanted to learn what actually happened to him. My aunt is a vascular sonographer and she loves what she does. I think that her love for the field is contagious. She has allowed me to observe what she does. This is what I want to do!

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