I was born in Lucca, Italy and grew up between Florence, Italy & Brussels, Belgium. I spent my childhood living in Belgium and Italy, and often traveled from England to North Africa. I attended The Brussels State Technical School for Electrical Engineering, and lived in Belgium till the end of 1989.

I received my Nursing Degree from Edison College, and my Master of Health Care Administration from National-Louis University, Chicago.

I have more than 10 years of diverse leadership experience as a clinical/administrative manager, educator and perioperative nursing while promoting professional healthcare delivery, supported by progressive clinical coaching, and clinical/administrative staff development.

Having grown up in the small northwestern town of Hill City, Kansas I attended the nearby college of Fort Hays State University.  This gave me the opportunity to participate on the college softball team and the Tiger Deb Dance Team.  After deciding to study nursing, I transferred to St. Mary of the Plains School of Nursing located in Wichita, Kansas.  Given the opportunity to scrub and circulate on the CVOR team, I quickly fell in love with the perfusion profession and enrolled in the St. Mary of the Plains School of Perfusion.

Upon successful completion of St. Mary’s perfusion school, I continued working as a perfusionist for Via Christi Medical Center and Specialty Care.   My 30 years of employment in the Wichita area came to an end when I transferred to Tavares, Florida, with an opportunity of starting a brand new open heart program at Florida Hospital Waterman and employed by Perfusion.com.

Last July, I started a new adventure, my own company, Perfusion Services LLC.  I now enjoy traveling as a perfusionist to hospitals throughout the United States!

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS & ACHIEVEMENTS

• American Society of Extracorporeal Technology, AmSECT, President 2010-2012
• AmSECT Presidential Golden Gavel Award 2012
• Director International Board Blood Management 2010-2012
• AmSECT Foundation Board of Directors 2010-2012
• AmSECT Award of Excellence Nominee 2012, 2007, 2005
• AmSECT President’s Award 2010, 2006
• AmSECT Perfusionist of the Year 2008
• Baxter Perfusionist of the Year, Central Region 1999
• AmSECT Perfusionist of the Year Nominee 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001
• Past Kansas Practicing Perfusionist Society, KPPS, Secretary/Treasurer
• Past American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion, ABCP, Oral Examiner
• President Association of Operating Room Nurses, AORN, #1701, 1985-1986

Hi, my name is Iris J. Chacon. I was born in Honduras Central America, and at the age of 14 my family moved to the United States. It was a difficult adjustment to make as a teenager. I was unable to speak English and at the same time had to adjust to a different culture. Nevertheless, I survived my first year of school, and eventually finished High School. I enrolled at Loyola University, in New Orleans and graduated with a Biology degree, and a minor in both Chemistry and Psychology.

Soon after Loyola, I went to Respiratory Therapy School, and then worked in the NICU unit at Ochsner Hospital. Here I was involved with ECMO patients and became interested in perfusion. I applied to the perfusion program at Ochsner Hospital in 1993 and was accepted in the program out of 100 applicants. After graduation I moved to Gainesville, FL and have lived here for the past seven years. Subsequently, my husband and I relocated to Texas for a year, to then return back to Florida, where I began traveling for Perfusion.com.

Since then I have worked my way up the ladder, becoming Vice President of Perfusion.com. I can sincerely state I have enjoyed every moment of this great adventure with Perfusion.com, Inc.