The Ten-Minute Interview with...Scott Hardin RT(R)(CV)

Cardiology itself did not excite me until I went to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. I was able to do both interventional radiology and cardiology, including pediatrics and EP. The training and work was intense. I was constantly learning and maintaining my skills. Hopkins is always on the cutting edge, with some of the best cardiologists and interventional radiologists. We all worked together as part of a team with the physicians to give the best possible care to our patients. We also were instrumental in helping train new cardiology and interventional radiology fellows. I went into the medical field to make a difference in someone’s life. Preventing life-threatening situations or saving someone’s life is also exciting! You’re the manager at your lab? I am the manager of a busy and growing cath lab. We performed 3,800 procedures last year, and we are in the planning stages to expand our cardiovascular program. I am responsible for all aspects of the lab’s function, including staffing, budget, and direction. I still get to participate in procedures. I enjoy scrubbing in on cases when I can, but with my administrative duties I have to juggle my time. I work very closely with the physicians to ensure cohesiveness and that we all stay on track. We have a very successful CV program, including our CV surgery. It has been the center of excellence in the HCA system for "off pump" bypass surgeries. We also just completed an expansion project that includes a state-of-the-art 38-bed ICU/CCU and all private patient rooms, for a total of 316 beds. What is the biggest challenge you see regarding your role in the CV lab? I think I have the best staff, with excellent skills and a work ethic such that they all work very well together. I also have a great boss who is very supportive of the direction in which I have taken the lab. So the biggest challenge I feel is to maintain our program on the cutting-edge of cardiovascular care while controlling costs at the same time. Also, keeping everyone focused on patient care and safety in light of the continual changes being made through HIPAA and JCAHO. My hope is to not just meet, but exceed expectations. Continuing education is very important to meet our goals. What motivates you to continue working in the CV lab? I believe it is for the same reasons that I went into healthcare: The challenge and never-ending change in medicine. The feeling I get every day that I’ve made a difference in someone’s life for the better. Taking part in making our community a better place to live through the care we give. I like making a difference and working with people who feel the same way. What is the most bizarre case you have ever been involved in? When I was involved in pediatric cardiology, I saw many unusual things with congenital heart defects in children. The one that sticks out the most for me was a newborn who was less than 5lbs. We accessed both groin arterial and vein, and both axillary arteries. We found very complex cardiac abnormalities, including only one ventricle from which the pulmonary artery and aorta came off. The arterial function was very difficult to map. We had little to work with for orientation due to the severe abnormality of the heart and vessels. The oxygenated blood was being diluted or totally blocked from reaching vital areas. The child died before leaving the lab. A bizarre case became a very sad one, leaving me with a feeling of helplessness. Can you describe your physician colleagues? I work with nine cardiologists, eight of which are interventionalists that are mostly in separate practices. I really do have a great group of doctors to work with they all support me and have a good working relationship with the staff. They have made great strides to come together on many initiatives that benefited the department, patients, and the hospital. I’d like to make mention of some of these cardiologists who contributed time and effort to make our program a success: Drs. George Boyle, Dwayne Pickett, Sashi Bellur and Steven Farber. Are you involved with the SICP or any other cardiovascular societies? Yes, I am co-founder of the SICP Gulf Coast Chapter and co-chair, along with Lynne Jones. I mentioned earlier how important continuing education is in this field. In Houston, there was not anything geared for us or our staff regarding continuing education and professional growth. Lynne and I thought, we have a vast area of great professionals and recourses in Houston, so let’s pull them together with the help of SICP. We think this chapter will be a model for others, offering education and information that will benefit us all. Hospitals are cutting budgets, leaving little to no room for continuing education. With the help of the SICP, I believe we can stay on top of changes in our field and support our professional community through continuing education. Are there any websites or texts you would recommend to other labs? Yes, our new website for the Gulf Coast Chapter: www.gcsicp.com. Also, www.tctmd.com and theheart.org. If you could send a message back to yourself at the beginning of your cath lab career, what advice would you give? I don’t think I would change a thing. Each step along the way has given me the knowledge, patience, and strength as a professional to succeed. Where do you see yourself professionally when it is time to retire? I don’t know! I have recently gone back to school. I enjoy learning and being part of healthcare. Technology is changing so fast that I feel cath labs will have a different purpose in the future and the treatment is going to be vastly different. I want to follow that wave and be part of those changes. Where that might lead me, I don’t know but I’m sure it will be exciting. So what changes do you think will occur in the field of cardiology in the coming decades? Gene therapy! There is a lot of promising work being done right now with stem cells and genetic research. I believe we will see some of the results of this research in the next 8 years. I look forward to hopefully all of us having a better quality of life as we get older.

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