KIMBERLY Crowley

Preceptor/Clinical Instructor

• Serve as contact person for students, program directors, and clinical coordinators from Lawson State, Wallace State, and CVIU cardiovascular programs.
• Submit student evaluations and competencies as requested by program directors and clinical coordinators.
• Approve student time and competency records through Trajecsys.
• Communicate potential trouble areas with students and clinical coordinators, specifically when successful completion is unlikely.
• Currently utilizing a flexible 12-week onboarding plan designed to introduce departmental policies and procedures. This plan is designed for new staff members but is currently being utilized as a guide for students nearing graduation and completion of clinical rotations.
• Serve as an educational resource for internal and external training materials.
• Provide technical feedback and encouragement through Quality Improvement reviews.
• Assist the DCH School of Sonography Program Director with training local EMTs to perform POCUS exams in the field.
• Accompanied the DCH Program Director on a site visit to Wallace State to observe their didactic and clinical processes as well as build collaborative relationships.

Lead Sonographer

• Provide technical feedback and encouragement through Quality Improvement reviews.
• Implemented an updated technical protocol for performing exams streamlined to meet accreditation requirements.
• Produce a newsletter titled "Inside the Lab" utilized for communication, exam education, departmental processes, and joint commission standards.
• Responsible for team huddles to communicate department needs, education, and processes for improvement.
• Provide one-on-one IV training and assistance to sonographers.
• Daily duties include streamlining workflow to increase productivity by organizing exams according to priority with available staff, assisting sonographers with complex exams, and reducing the number of left-over exams (exams older than 24 hours).
• Responsible for ensuring all charges are entered correctly and all exams are completed and finalized within the appropriate time frames.
• Responsible for ensuring all pediatric reports are charged and received from UAB. Recently implemented a new process to ensure reports are scanned into Expanse with minimum delay.
• Perform monthly self-implemented rounds for joint commission tracers, employee performance of hand hygiene, two identifiers for each patient, and AIDET practices.

Preceptor

• Followed a 12-week onboarding plan designed to introduce departmental policies and procedures. This plan allowed new staff time to adjust to new protocols, with the ability to progress at a faster pace when skills are proven proficient. Served as a special needs preceptor for new staff requiring additional time and education beyond the initial 12 weeks.
• Served as an educational resource for internal and external training materials.
• Provided technical feedback and encouragement through weekly Quality Improvement reviews.
• Provided IV training including via in-services and one-on-one training to new sonographers.
• Assisted with individual and group training sessions for new Cardiology and Anesthesia Fellows.

Lead Sonographer

• Served as a member of the Echo Boot Camp training program produced and led by the Supervisor of Quality and Education and two fellow Lead Cardiac Sonographers.
• Member of the Echocardiography Radiation Safety Committee. As the only sonographer dual registered in ultrasound and radiology, I served as a valuable resource for education, assisting with the development of departmental safety policies and training material, and helped guide purchases of radiation safety equipment. Also served as the recordkeeper responsible for collecting and submitting quarterly dosimetry badges and rings. Provided additional safety training and education to pregnant sonographers as needed.
• Produced a bi-weekly lab newsletter titled "Inside the Lab" utilized for communication exam education, departmental processes, and joint commission standards.
• Presented multiple presentations with videos and PowerPoints for sonographer education, however, the most significant presentation was titled "The Strain of Cardiotoxicity." This presentation was initially presented to sonographers but was later requested by the Head Professor and Director of Echocardiography to present to the Cardiac and Oncology Fellows.
• Led and served as contact person for assigned research studies for Sickle Cell Anemia and Cardiotoxicity (radiation and chemo-induced). Performed Structural Heart Clinic research studies including prosthetic valves for aortic stenosis, mitral regurgitation, and tricuspid regurgitation. These studies required high levels of technical accuracy and were often performed with the interventionalist present.
• Responsible for implementing and maintaining the departmental Employee Recognition Team. This team was created to maintain staff morale and retention of employees. Points were given based on recommendations from co-workers, leadership, and patients, with patient comments and recommendations worth the most amount of points. The top five employees were recognized quarterly with one overall winner at the end of the year.
• Daily duties included streamlining workflow to increase productivity by organizing exams according to priority with available staff, assisting sonographers with complex exams, and reducing the number of left-over exams (exams older than 24 hours).
• Communicated with physicians, leadership, and staff throughout the day to coordinate special procedures, address patient care issues, and strategize team efficiency to provide excellent care even with reduced staff many days.
• Responsible for ensuring the AOC was completed and updated daily, all charges were entered correctly, and all exams were completed and finalized within the appropriate time frames.
• Performed quarterly rounds for joint commission tracers, employee performance of hand hygiene, two identifiers for each patient, and AIDET practices.

• Perform diagnostic computed tomography exams including generation of 3D models and MPRs on CTA exams according to hospital protocol.
• Also perform diagnostic ultrasound and echocardiography according to hospital protocol and department policy.
• Maintain correspondence with both ordering physician and radiologist as needed to provide best quality of care.

• Perform echocardiography exams including stress and Dobutamine exams (with and without contrast), agitated saline exams, as well as peripheral and abdominal vascular ultrasounds.
• Assist Endocrinologist with FNA's when requested
• Developed and monitored computer-based tracking forms for daily, monthly, and yearly exam logs by sonographer.
• Assisted with the triage of patients, obtaining accurate medical history and family history as indicated.
• Obtained vitals and performed EKGs.
• Data entry duties included entering appropriate ICD-10 and CPT codes for billing purposes.

• Filled in as the sole echocardiographer and vascular technologist during an emergent medical leave.
• Trained on four different machines/software programs for approximately eight hours in order to provide quality imaging during special circumstances.

• Perform diagnostic ultrasound, computed tomography, and diagnostic imaging (X-ray) according to hospital protocol at the Tuscaloosa, Northport, and Fayette campuses
• Closely worked with sonography students, teaching proper technique, protocol, and diagnostic indications for performing exams.
• Maintained correspondence with ordering physicians and radiologists as needed to provide the best quality of care.