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