Saving lives through sound

LLCC launched its new cardiovascular sonography program this fall, and students are eager to learn about this in-demand health care field.

Cardiovascular sonography is an imaging technique done completely outside the body — no punctures, no cutting. It uses ultrasound technology to assess and diagnose conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure. Sonographers who perform ultrasounds of the heart are called echocardiographers. Vascular sonographers use ultrasound equipment to produce images of blood vessels — arteries and veins. Relying on sound waves to expose the heart’s chambers and blood flow in vessels, sonographers help physicians determine the cardiovascular health of patients.

These diagnostics can be lifesaving. “Sonographers are critical, and sound saves lives,” says Leigh Giles-Brown, program director, diagnostic medical sonography. Cardiovascular imaging techniques are considered safe, as the testing does not use ionizing radiation. In addition, this type of testing can provide immediate answers and results. In some cases, critical testing can reveal life threatening health concerns that may need to be treated immediately.

“We can have a maximum of 16 students in each cohort, which begins in June of each year,” explains Giles-Brown. “There are no other programs close to the Springfield area, and hospitals have been struggling to fill positions with local graduates. By having a program here at LLCC, we can provide qualified, prepared graduates to fill open roles in our hospitals.”

“I became interested in ultrasound technology due to my love for science and physics. Studying the heart has been the most fascinating to me. So naturally I was very excited about the development of the program at LLCC and for the journey into a career in which I have a chance to help people in my everyday work," says Josie Reichenback, LLCC cardiovascular sonography student from Litchfield.

High-tech classroom

As you enter the sonography lab, you see new, state-of-the-art equipment that allows students to learn, practice and perfect lifesaving medical techniques. “It’s our goal to have tools that are on par with real life equipment used. We want to make sure that our students are as prepared as possible,” says Giles-Brown. 

T he lab is fitted with ultrasound machines, anatomy models, training phantoms and simulators that mimic clinical experiences to help prepare students for the workforce.

Taught by sonographers, LLCC’s program includes a combination of lecture courses, clinical rotations and hands-on lab experiences. During the first year of the program, students begin their education on campus to prepare them for the clinical portion of their education, and in the last year they progress to learning onsite skills at clinical locations multiple days per week.

Careers

“There are many specialty areas within sonography,” adds Giles-Brown. “The cardiovascular sonography program lets students explore two different areas that have rewarding careers, high paying salaries and high job satisfaction rates.”

T hrough professional certification exams, graduates gain credentials that permit them to work with specialists like cardiologists, in vascular departments alongside vascular surgeons and in general sonography departments, which perform vascular ultrasound. Careers are available in both inpatient and outpatient settings as well as in mobile clinics where sonographers can take portable equipment to image patients in their homes. There are full- and part-time positions that provide great flexibility for desired work schedules. 

Outside of working directly in the clinical setting, there are also a variety of careers working with cardiovascular and ultrasound equipment and training simulator manufacturers that hire sonographers to test and troubleshoot products as they are produced or to train employees at customer sites. 

Start here

In addition to cardiovascular sonography, LLCC offers two other sonography programs. The first, diagnostic medical sonography, is a two-year associate of applied science degree for those new to the field. It covers two ultrasound specialties — abdominal and obstetrics/gynecology. Those who are already practicing sonographers can upskill their health care careers at LLCC by earning the 10-month vascular sonography certificate.

If you are interested in one of LLCC’s sonography programs, start by scheduling an appointment with a health professions recruiter.