Introducing… a medical radiation technologist
Kathie Lock is a senior medical radiation technologist at the CIBC Breast Assessment Centre at Hamilton Health Sciences’ (HHS) Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre. She has been with HHS for 30 years.
What do you do?
I work with an extraordinary group of health professionals including radiologists, residents and fellows, surgeons, geneticists, nurses, technologists and clerical staff as well as our wonderful volunteers.
I obtain any relevant medical history for the patient, handle their imaging and present findings to the radiologist for review. We rapidly discuss and determine outcomes and whether further imaging is needed.
We see women and men with breast-related health concerns as well as a large number of screening patients through the Ontario Breast Screening Programs and the Juravinski Cancer Centre. Our centre was designed to streamline the process from symptom to diagnosis and surgery, if needed.
“The patients we work with inspire me daily.”
What do you love most about your job?
What I love most is to work with such a dedicated team. Everyone here understands how important their role is and how vital the imaging is to get a proper diagnosis.
The combined team effort and discussion leads to us providing the best patient care, tailored for each individual patient. Knowing we have the support of all the skilled members of our team keeps us coming back every day.
Who inspires you?
The patients we work with inspire me daily to ensure we provide the imaging and information needed to assist with diagnosis. They guide us with their issues and concerns. Answering their questions and alleviating their fears to the best of our ability is very important.
What is your biggest challenge?
One of the biggest challenges is trying to accommodate all of our patients and their concerns as quickly as we would like. As our centre grows and our patient population expands, we are constantly looking at the most efficient and professional ways to care for them. We evolve as a team, striving to provide best care for all.