Month: May 2025

Sitting down and putting together a realistic budget might not be your idea of a good time. However, following a budget can put you on the path to financial freedom and keep you from accruing debt. Now is a great time to reassess your budget (or start one!) and get your finances in order.

 Here are 10 simple tips to consider when starting your budget:

1. Determine your income. Add up your total household income, including any side jobs or money that comes in regularly. Use your net pay, so you don’t have to take money out for taxes, health insurance, etc.

2. Pay yourself. Whenever possible, it can be beneficial to contribute to your retirement and savings account before you start tackling your expenses. Most financial professionals recommend having a three- to six-month emergency fund saved up (to cover all of your major bills for six months). If that feels too overwhelming at the start, another suggestion from financial guru Dave Ramsey suggests a $1,000 emergency fund to cover basic emergencies until you have paid off all of your debt. You will have to decide what savings number you need, but a good goal is to ensure that a minor emergency will not derail your finances. An emergency can be anything you didn’t plan for – your dishwasher breaks, you get a flat tire, or you get a speeding ticket.

3. Start with the core four: rent/mortgage and utilities, food, essential clothing, and transportation. Calculate what you pay in each of these categories every month. Ideally, your rent or mortgage is close to 30% of your gross monthly income. If this is non-negotiable, adjust your other spending accordingly and keep this percentage in mind next time you have an opportunity to lease or purchase a home. For items like utilities that vary month-to-month, find the average of your last few bills or look at what you paid the same time a year ago. Take into account seasonality – you may use the A/C more during the summer months or run the heat more in the winter.

4. Add up all of your monthly expenses. While the core four list covers the biggest monthly expenses, what about all of those little payments that happen every month for streaming services or fitness classes? Write down every bill you pay each month, no matter how small it is. Those add up quickly, and if you’re not using one of those services, cancel it and save some money.

5. Tackle your debt. This one can be hard to face, but it’s an important part of getting your finances together. Add up all of your monthly debts outside of the core four – credit cards, student loans, medical bills, etc. Have a good understanding of how much money each month goes directly towards debt so you can include that in your budget. Consider the snowball effect (paying the smallest to largest debt) or the avalanche method (paying off the bill with the highest interest rate first) for paying down your debt.

6. Budget for fun. After you’ve added up all of your expenses, create budgets for dining out or going to bars, entertainment, recreation, etc. Remember, this amount cannot exceed your total monthly income, so if you need to cut back in some places, this is where to start.

7. Set up auto drafts. Paying late fees is an unnecessary expense that can cut into your budget. It can be helpful to either have your bills set to automatically deduct from your checking account or set a calendar reminder to pay your bills a few days before they’re due.

8. Use a budgeting tool. Gone are the days of balancing your checkbook by hand at the kitchen table. There are a handful of free or low-cost tools available to help you tackle your budget and stick to it. Here are a few good ones: Mint, Quicken Budget Calculator, EveryDollar, You Need a Budget (YNAB).

9. Don’t forget about irregular expenses. You should have your “base budget” set with all of those tips, but don’t forget about expenses that don’t happen every month. Consider what birthdays or special events happen each month that you’ll need to spend money on. Don’t forget to include any extras for the kiddos like sports and activity fees, tutoring, or dental/health expenses not covered by insurance. If possible, set aside extra money for holiday presents so you don’t get hit with a big surprise at the end of the year.

10. Know yourself. Is cash king, or can you still swipe? Some people have a hard time sticking to a budget when they pay for everything with a debit or credit card. For those folks, using a budgeting app can be helpful as it is easier to go over your budget when you don’t see the money leave your account. If you don’t want to use an app or balance your budget every few days, try the envelope method. Put cash in different envelopes for different budget categories. Have one for groceries, one for restaurants/bars, one for shopping, one for gifts, etc. This method allows you to see exactly how much money you have left in each category. If you use this method try to ensure you have safe storage and trustworthy housemates.

Budgeting isn’t hard. It just takes a little time and discipline. By following these simple steps, you can have a better understanding of your overall budget and gain some insight into places you might need to cut back so you can invest more in yourself and bulk up your savings.

In October of 2018, Ayesha Rauf began her journey with BB Imaging as a sonographer after spending most of her life in Pakistan.

Ayesha was educated and trained as a doctor in Pakistan. She worked tirelessly with refugee women in camps alongside a non-governmental organization (NGO). The NGOs employ local professionals like Ayesha to carry out their already established programs in countries with high female refugee populations like Pakistan. She worked across programs to address women’s issues such as reproductive health, awareness of vaccination, childcare, family planning, and hygiene.

A few years ago, Ayesha decided to move to the United States for safety reasons including a terrorist attack in Pakistan. Soon after Ayesha arrived, she knew she wanted to utilize her skills and knowledge of medicine, which led her to sonography. Although working in the Maternal-Fetal Medicine field is different from her work in Pakistan, Ayesha can use her training as a physician to recognize diseases and conditions that affect pregnancies. She can care for her high-risk patients accordingly. Knowing how to assess and treat this specific group of patients is a benefit Ayesha feels she has carried from her previous career. The work itself might be different for her, but patient care is the same.

Ayesha felt empathy and compassion when working with the refugees. Women were rendered helpless and distinctly disadvantaged. She appreciated the opportunity to work with people whose needs were significant and help them in any way she could. Still, the lack of necessary supplies to provide care often left Ayesha angry and frustrated.

“The lack of basic health care facilities in the camps lead to complications in childbirth and pregnancies,” Rauf said. “The perinatal mortality and morbidity in those camps were very high.”

In addition to providing medical care Ayesha took on a mentorship role in the refugee camps, becoming a confidant for the women who had gone through physical and sexual abuse.

“My job required a high level of care, confidentiality, compassion, and competency,” Rauf said.

Passion is something that can be beneficial to all healthcare workers; for Ayesha, her drive comes from the interactions and relationships she formed with the women while working in Pakistan. Being a female doctor allowed her to help women when they needed it most.

“Due to the cultural norms, these women would not even speak to a male doctor,” she said.

Elated, Ayesha said the NGOs’ work in Pakistan helped lower the perinatal mortality rate. Within a year, they were able to successfully perform deliveries in a labor room in one of their clinics.

“Every day I spent at the camps increased my desire to help,” she said.

Ayesha is not only knowledgeable but also full of love and compassion. She held the hands of women who experienced violence and did what she could to help them through their trauma, including reducing the physical and emotional impact when possible. When asked why this work is so important to her, Ayesha mentioned the BB Imaging mission statement, “We believe serving the underserved is not just good for business but good for our greater human community.”

Ayesha’s mission is to continue to help and serve those who need “something extra.” Over a year into her BBI journey, Ayesha is an MFM sonographer following her passion and using her experience as strengths for her future.

If you would like to help refugee women, you may make a donation to the International Medical Corps (IMC) https://internationalmedicalcorps.org/  or EDHI foundation https://edhi.org/. Both organizations are in Pakistan and would benefit from any monetary donations.

You wrote the perfect cover letter and polished up your resume. Now, the only thing holding you back from your dream job is acing the interview. Here are a few tips from our team of experienced human resource specialists to help you nail the interview:

·      Practice makes perfect – study potential interview questions and practice the interview before you go in for the real thing. You’ll feel better prepared and more confident in your answers.

·      Do your research – Look up the company and their history beforehand so you feel comfortable discussing during the interview. You will also be able to ensure their mission statement aligns with your values (or passions).

·      Be prepared for a phone interview – Don’t be surprised when an interviewer calls you on the number you gave them at the agreed upon time. Make sure you are in a quiet place to take the phone call, away from any potential distractions.

·      Updated your voicemail – Your voicemail is to your interview as your email address is to your resume. Make sure it’s professional. If you have extenuating circumstances and are not able to take the phone call for the interview, your voicemail should have your first and last name, so they know they called the right number. Also make sure your voicemail isn’t full so they can leave a message. Make every attempt to notify the interviewer of your conflict in advance.

·      Be confident – Walk into the interview with confidence. Be confident in your work history. Be confident in your ability to do the job. Be confident in what you bring to the organization. When you enter the room with that self-confidence, you let the interviewers know you are the person for the job.

·      Be on time – There’s an old saying, “Five minutes early is on time. On time is late. Late is unacceptable.” This certainly applies to job interviews. Make sure you give yourself enough time to account for traffic, finding the right building/office, and getting through any potential security. The last thing you want is the interviewer waiting on you to arrive and you  walk in feeling flustered.

·      Dress professionally – Being overdressed is better than being underdressed. Some markets are more casual than others but err on the side of caution and present yourself well. If you are asked to come in scrubs, all black scrubs are preferred for BB Imaging. A solid color is an acceptable substitute. If your interviewer doesn’t let you know what to wear to the interview, be proactive and ask. Also, make sure you put your phone and any other potential distractions away during the entire interview.

·      Who’s who – Know the name of the person you are scheduled to meet during the interview. If you are introduced to others during the interview process, especially potential co-workers, make an effort to remember their names.

·      Come prepared – Bring a few paper copies of your resume. You may meet someone during the process who hasn’t seen it yet. Ask ahead of time what requirements there are before visiting the clinic and starting the position. Consider immunizations you may need and records you may have to present. This shows you are eager to get started in the clinic and thinking ahead.

·      Ask questions – Show that you’re interested in the job and the clinic by asking questions. How do they run the practice? What is their approach to training? Let them know that you’re interested in the development of the position and the clinic.

·      Be flexible – Block off the whole morning or afternoon for the interview. This allows plenty of time for you to tour the clinic or meet any potential co-workers. If you have a time limitation, explain that before the interview (I wouldn’t suggest an option to tell someone at the beginning of the interview)

·      Follow up, quickly – Send a quick “thank you” note promptly after the interview. Send it to the person you met with and any one you spent time talking to during the interview. The letter should be brief and simply thank them for their time, highlight something specific from the interview and explain why you would be a good fit for the role. This helps keep you fresh in the mind of the person doing the interview. You can send this via email because they may not have a typical office, making it harder to send  through the mail.

Your resume and cover letter proved that you have the experience to do the job. With these tips, you can have a successful interview,  get an offer letter, and start your new job. View our current openings and apply for your next career move today.

COVID-19 has derailed a lot of fundamental things, including the economy, our education system, and the lives of millions. While it may seem frivolous to focus on vacations as a point of discussion, the truth is, dedicated vacation time is important. It’s not only okay to take a formal break but necessary for continued productivity, so we will give time off a moment in the spotlight.

For those who work in the healthcare industry, this is a particularly tricky conversation. There are a few reasons why healthcare workers may be the most resistant to taking vacation days right now, so to jumpstart the time off tête-à-tête, let’s examine some common objections:

They need me. Okay, you’re right! Your employer and the world at large need healthcare workers in a different way than other “essential personnel” are needed. It’s a health crisis, after all, and you have a particular set of skills. There’s a downside to the heralding of healthcare workers as heroes; heroes don’t usually feel like they can take time off. Does Batman ever get to ignore the Bat Signal?! Whether it’s direct COVID-19-related healthcare or catching up on care and procedures that were pushed back during quarantine, it can feel selfish to want to take a break.

However, your break helps more than just you. Study after study tells us vacations are healthy for our body (we’ll link this article that talks about the heart benefit in particular). Common sense also tells us that rested team members are the best team members, especially in healthcare. There will always be the propensity for medical personnel to overwork. However, the balance of backing off from time to time keeps everyone at their best. Patients and providers D.O. need you…but they need the best version of you. Vacations help that version stay at the forefront.

I need them. There’s no shame in admitting that you simply want to stay busy. A pandemic is not fun and while working without a real break can certainly help take your mind off of mortality and musing about whether or not we’re going to end up in a Mad Max-esque situation shortly, it isn’t a lasting solution. If you have not taken a significant break since the pandemic kicked off, or if you were quarantined and then incredibly glad to be back to work, there may be a certain amount of hesitation to face some quiet time. If that describes you, you’re not alone.

A staycation can be a great opportunity to either lean into what typically brings you peace, or a chance to find something that does. Curious about meditation? Wistfully remembering how great a regular Tai Chi practice made you feel? Fire up YouTube and kick off your time off with mindfulness!

We can’t go anywhere. Again…fair point. While much of the U.S. is opening back up, and it’s possible to travel to certain destinations while following the CDC guidelines, the prudent choice and the most practical is a staycation. (might want to say “Some healthcare employers may even require unpaid quarantines upon return from non-essential travel.”)

What is there to do at home, you ask, beyond figuring out how to make sure your children are actually doing school online or watching every single season of every television series known to humankind on Netflix? There’s quite a lot you can do, with the Internet and a little imagination. New York Magazine’s newsletter, The Cut, devoted an issue to staycation ideas that can jog your creativity. Some of the best include movie-themed dinners, camping inside or in your yard, full-fledged spa days, or merely putting fruit in pitchers of water to make a fancy statement. Still, we have a few ideas of our own:

● Quarantine Cup. Write down questions (here’s a list for starters), dares, directions or charade prompts on a million little pieces of paper and put them in a cup. Bored? Take one out. Alone? Make them all things you want to do or need to do.

● Takeout Till You Drop. If the budget allows, take a whole day off from cooking (and support local restaurants) by eating everything from somewhere else.

● Download a New App. Want to lip-sync on Tik Tok? Learn to sketch? Speak Spanish? There’s an app for all of those.

● Facetime, with a Twist, get in costume and dial-up your mom all your high school friends, college roommate, kids, dog walker…this is your chance to start your variety show. No Facetime? No excuse. Everyone else has Facebook Messenger Chat.

The short version is, we’re in this for the long haul. Healthcare workers are the definition of essential personnel. Working hard in this industry is a given but performing at your peak without a break isn’t sustainable, it also makes things less enjoyable.

Taking time off, even for “just” a staycation is a good thing to do for your patients, and your employer, but most importantly, it’s a good thing for you.

Promoting diversity in the workplace may be trending but this is so much more than a fad. A diverse workplace creates a safe and welcoming space for people of different genders, races, religions, and sexual orientations. Diversity brings different perspectives and experiences for problem solving and innovation. It is especially beneficial in the healthcare industry to intentionally create and promote a diverse workforce.

At BB Imaging, our focus is on diagnostic ultrasound services. We believe that women, no matter their location or financial status, should have access to high-quality healthcare. “Serving the underserved is not just good for business, but good for our greater human community,” Diana Ferguson, Chief of Staff at BB Imaging.

To provide the highest standard of care to people across all socioeconomic classes, education levels, religions, and races it is necessary to create a culturally competent workforce of healthcare professionals. Diverse and educated practitioners are more likely to be sensitive to and able to work within different belief systems, cultural biases, or family structures.

We strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment at BB Imaging because we strongly believe that increasing the overall number of minority sonographers will bring significant improvements in providing access to high-quality healthcare services for minority populations.

 So, how do we continue to grow and promote a diverse workforce? We focus on four key factors.

• Keeping our hiring team diverse. Studies show people tend to have a subconscious bias and hire people who are like them. If your hiring and recruiting team are not diverse, you will end up with a cookie-cutter staff. Including people of different races, education levels, or sexual orientations on the hiring team provides an opportunity for consideration that candidates may not otherwise get due to inherent bias. This also helps to promote an inclusive company culture.

• We are intentional with our efforts to promote diversity. We don’t just want to hire diverse people to “check a box.” We truly want to create a welcoming environment where people of different backgrounds feel safe to participate. Our business thrives as we look at problems through different lenses and with new perspectives.

• We want to serve the underserved. The Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography found that diverse healthcare professionals tend to have a passion to work in areas that are underserved. Additionally, Hispanic and African American practitioners are more likely to provide healthcare services to Medicaid recipients and people of lower socioeconomic status, according to the Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. To truly provide better healthcare access to a diverse population, we need to create a more diverse staff of minority healthcare providers and train current staff to provide culturally sensitive healthcare to underserved populations.

• We promote from within. Creating a diverse workforce enables us to have a pool of internal candidates to choose from for job promotions and new positions. This naturally lends itself to creating a diverse management team and C-suite. We also maintain more welcoming and unbiased hiring practices to foster our inclusive culture.

Creating a diverse workforce and fostering an inclusive environment doesn’t just allow us to serve our mission. It creates a truly enjoyable workplace for all, encouraging innovating ideas and passionate solutions to real problems. We spend the majority of our lifetimes at work or with co-workers. It is beneficial to make that time as welcoming as possible in a safe environment, accepting of different and new ideas.

When purchasing sonography equipment it is an investment in a tool that helps make life-changing medical decisions, so the quality of the machine is of utmost importance. Ensure the equipment provides quality resolution, advanced penetration, enhanced Dopplers (both color and pulsed-wave), and user-friendliness. With so many options on the market, it is tough to decide which machine is the correct fit.

 BB Imaging & Consulting recently had Clinical Director and Regional Supervisor of Central Texas Mandi Bowen, Sonographer Carmen Schmidt, and Director of Operations, Patricia Romero, review four ultrasound machines, the Alpinion i7, Mindray M8, GE Voluson i, and GE Voluson E6, for our clinical sites. Three of those were portable machines, with the GE E6 being the lone stand-alone machine we reviewed. Our sonographers looked at the machines’ quality of penetration, image resolution, Doppler imaging, layout, additional tools.  They assessed how each would impact workflow and determined prices to compare their overall value.

Alpinion i7 – $$ 

The Alpinion E-CUBE i7 is the latest in a series of portable ultrasound machines from Alpinion Medical Systems. It was released in October 2015 and won an iF Design Award in 2016 for its user-focused design concept. Alpinion is a newer sonography brand on the market, and our sonographers were impressed with the quality of penetration and image resolution. They also liked how effective the color Doppler was, providing a more precise blood flow detection while limiting the bleed out they often see with other machines.

Both Bowen and Schmidt were impressed with how easy it was to take a photo or video clip on the i7. It required few steps to get a clear picture, and Schmidt acknowledged that sometimes smaller, more portable machines don’t penetrate as well, but the i7 impressed her. The i7 appeared to follow industry-leader GE’s layout, which helped lower the learning curve needed on the new machine.

Mindray M8 – $$$ 

The Mindray M8 was released in 2017 and is based on Mindray’s new generation ultrasound platform, mQuadro. While it also provided good penetration and improved image quality, it took longer to get to specific packages, which adds to extra time spent on each patient. The image quality was noticeably lower on scans when the baby was in the first trimester. As the baby grew into the second and third trimesters, the quality of the images improved.

Our team felt the Mindray system flowed smoother, updating quicker to keep borders clearer with the color Doppler. It also had good post-processing and was compatible with different PAC systems.

 GE Voluson i – $ 

GE Healthcare sonographer machines have been the industry standard for years, and the GE Voluson i had been a favorite of our staff. However, GE stopped making portable ultrasound machines, including the Voluson i, so the only portable GE machines currently available on the market are refurbished ones. The strength of the GE Voluson i was in its intuitive keyboard setup. GE keeps similar layouts across all of its machines, so there is a limited learning curve when moving to a new model. The design made sense to our sonographers, making it easy to move from one mode to another. However, it had the lowest quality for 3D imaging, penetration, and color and pulsed-wave Doppler compared to the other models. It took more clicks and effort to save a video clip, resulting in a bulky user interface. It also had a limited number of presets, so the sonographers would most likely have to go in to create their own.

GE Voluson E6 – $$$$ 

The GE Voluson E6 is one in a long line of GE stand-alone machines, and the only stand-alone our sonographers tested. It was released in 2009 and has since been followed up by the E8 and E10. Stand-alone machines consistently have higher image quality than laptops, but they are limited in their portability. Our sonographers were impressed with the E6 across the board: image quality, penetration, and transducer quality. The E6 came with all of the tools they needed at high quality, and none of the extras they don’t need. The E8 and E10 come with even more add-ons and tools, however, our team felt they wouldn’t use those additional tools, so they were pleased with the level the E6 provided.

When deciding between a portable machine and a stand-alone, consider a cart (portable) or batteries (stand-alone) in the price. Each of these three portable machines had two cart options, a larger cart and a smaller one, which allows for different numbers of transducers to plug in. The GE E6 had the option to include a battery system that would aid in portability but is a significant charge on an already top of the line machine.

Whichever machine is purchased it is recommended to consider staff needs. The keyboard layout and the workflow are most useful when they are easy to navigate. Clear picture quality and penetration good enough to keep high picture resolution are important.

Having access to diagnostic sonography can benefit everyone in the medical ecosystem, from provider to patient. Statistics show diagnostic sonography provides advantages in a variety of patient circumstances ranging from pregnancy to cardiovascular events.

Ultrasound can help diagnose many potentially fatal conditions in pregnancy, allow early intervention, and in many cases, prevent death. Studies show that it is particularly vital for women in rural areas or those with limited access to services, be able to have diagnostic measures like those provided by ultrasound, to forestall outcomes preventable with early intervention.

Sonography is also valuable for detecting cardiovascular irregularities like valve disease and carotid disease in roughly 5% to 20% of the population. Early detection can have a dramatic impact on illness prevention and treatment.

For several reasons, the services of a sonographer are an essential component of client care.

Access. Not all patients have easy access to a clinic. Even when a clinic is accessible, if a patient is referred out for a specialty exam, they may not have the ability to follow through. In rural clinics, having a sonographer available to patients at your location takes a step out of the process and makes care accessible.

Continuity. There are benefits to having skilled sonographers on-site even if your clinic and patients are in the middle of a bustling metropolis, and access isn’t an issue. Patients see someone in a familiar office, you solidify your relationship with them, and you are much less likely to experience miscommunication. Patients can have a consistently stable and pleasant experience, and they will associate it with your office.

Expediency. The ability to provide diagnostic sonography to patients who need it quickly is the biggest benefit of partnering with a sonography team. If you have the means to diagnose problems within a reasonable time frame, you can impart information to patients quickly, and address issues as soon as possible.

The quest to provide a high level of patient care is the driving force behind most practices, but profitability is always a factor. Improving the bottom line allows for more focus on providing quality care. Offering on-site ultrasound services is one way that many practice managers and physicians have found to address both sides of the issue.

A practice can retain revenue when patients are not referred off-site for ultrasound. It can be inconvenient for patients to need services at another location. A patient may experience a delay in treatment; it is possible to encounter confusion in billing and lag time between reading the results and reconnecting with the patient. Frequently patients forget or postpone scheduling appointments with a third party, especially those who are elderly or limited in transportation options.

Sonography as a First-Line Resource. The ability to quickly schedule sonography in your practice allows for easy utilization of the modality as a first-line resource. Ultrasound is a diagnostic tool with a lower risk of radiation than MRI, CT scan, etc., in addition to being more cost-efficient. If further imaging from other sources is necessary, you have given your patient a valuable start by providing first-line diagnostics that are safe and cost-conscious.

When you provide sonography services through your practice, insurance questions, such as co-pay information, are already determined, and you can discuss them with the patient at the visit. Office staff time is also minimized as it is not necessary to figure out insurance coverage for multiple providers.

Choosing your specific sonography providers is essential for ensuring a comprehensive array of services. The ability to diagnose general issues through abdominal, pelvic, thyroid, renal, soft tissue, and scrotal/testicular scans, as well as echocardiograms and vascular ultrasounds, offers broad-spectrum value for both your practice and your patients.

The Bottom Line and the Top Concern. Having a sonographer available for your patients through your practice is a fiscally sound move for keeping revenue potential in your system–and the bottom line is always going to be the bottom line. The top concern is providing value to patients and supplying a system of care that is expedient, accessible, and consistent. On-site sonography allows you to provide accurate information and expert diagnostics.

Find out how BB Imaging can give you more control over your operations, more adaptability in your practice, and most importantly time with our sonography services. Contact Heather@bbimaging.net

In Tech Open. (2011). The Role of Obstetric Ultrasound in Reducing Maternal and Perinatal Mortality. Retrieved from In Tech Open:  https://www.intechopen.com/books/ultrasound-imaging-medical-applications/the-role-of-obstetric-ultrasound-in-reducing-maternal-and-perinatal-mortality

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. (2018). Handheld Ultrasound to avert maternal and neonatal deaths in 2 regions of the Philippines: an iBuntis intervention study. Retrieved from National Center for Biotechnology Information: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5774122/

Beckers Hospital Review. (2020). The Value of Onsite Anchillary Imaging. Retrieved from Beckers Hospital Review: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/the-value-of-onsite-ancillary-imaging.html 

BB Imaging team members are known as “unicorns” because they are one-of-a-kind, special, and simply hard to find. Beth Bennet is definitely a unicorn. She has seen and done so much before even beginning her sonography career. From extensive travels to finding love overseas, Beth has had quite the journey.

Beth grew up in Houston, Texas, as 1 of 13 siblings with a proud Irish heritage. She loved being part of a large family having 7 brothers and 5 sisters. Beth is number 12 in the sibling line, the youngest of all the girls. Growing up in such a large family made Beth realize the importance of family connection, and she learned early on that you take care of one another.

Beth’s love of travel has led her to 22 countries, including Greece, Ireland, French Polynesia, and Dubai. Some of her favorite memories from her travels include incredible food, wine, and amazing sites like ancient temples. Her top 2 favorite spots are Moorea, an island in French Polynesia, and Dubai, where she spent most of her time with her last position at the Houston State Department of Security Service. During that experience, Beth worked in logistics and traveled to Afghanistan. While overseas, Beth had the opportunity to work at the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, where she met the man who would become her husband.

Another exciting part of Beth’s life is her love for animals. Growing up, she enjoyed riding and showing horses in several different disciplines. She also participated in a Falconry apprenticeship and has handled many birds of prey. Her love of animals demonstrates Beth’s nurturing personality. She is always willing to help someone, whether it be an animal or a human.

Ultrasound was something Beth always wanted to pursue; the journey to sonographer began after she was married and had her baby boy. Ultrasound school is not an easy task for anyone, but even more challenging for a mom with her hands full. While going to school and caring for her son, Beth also had to contend with her husband being deployed overseas in the Special Forces. Fortunately, her family was close by and gave Beth their full support so that she was able to go back to school.

Beth has now worked in the ultrasound field for 7 years. She practiced general sonography for 3 years while working in a low-risk OB clinic. Some of her most memorable ultrasound experiences have to do with patient care. The journey with her patients is her favorite. She explains that working in the low-risk environment is exciting when patients return for their follow-ups, and she can meet the baby she has scanned for several months. In January 2020, Beth joined BB Imaging. Switching over to BBI meant changing to high-risk ultrasound job. The challenge was part of what motivated Beth to make the change. She enjoys working closely alongside the physicians and giving excellent care to her patients. When asked why she chose BBI, Beth describes her eagerness to gain more knowledge and her drive to sharpen her skills in ultrasound.

Beth’s well-rounded path sees her happy in her current role as a sonographer with the BBI team, and we are glad she chose us to be a part of the current chapter in her exciting life story.

Company culture can substantially impact an organization, for better or worse, and affects both leadership and front-line team members. Cultivating a positive organizational climate not only helps foster an environment for more productive teams, but it also helps retain staff and recruit great talent. People want to feel appreciated, valued, and like their work matters. BB Imaging has built a solid company culture on a foundation of serving the underserved and putting team members’ well-being first, and it shows.

At BB Imaging, team members are more than just numbers; they are people with dreams and ambitions, struggles, and hurdles. Helping and supporting one another beyond our work is essential. The People and Culture team performs human resources functions and comprises people of different ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Leaders consciously created that team so staff members can talk to whoever they feel the most comfortable with about more than just payroll and benefits. The P&C team receives training on handling even the most difficult conversations, including sensitive or personal topics such as domestic violence. It is a top priority to create a safe space for all team members to thrive. Nikki Flores, People and Culture West Texas Regional Coordinator, said if she had to describe the culture at BB Imaging in one word, it would be supportive. The leadership team performs frequent check-ins with team members to get a feel for their overall well-being, in and outside of work.

The importance of a company’s culture has been highlighted in 2020 as businesses shift to virtual settings. BB Imaging has maintained a strong company culture during this change. “The shift to a virtual environment has been positive for our company,” said Molly Siemens, BS, RDMS (AB, OB/GYN, FE), RVT (VT), a sonographer in Kansas City. “It made it easier to reach out to team members in other regions and time zones to share business information (i.e., updates to the employee handbook) and tips, tricks, and materials that sonographers can use in the field.”

Flores echoed Siemens’ sentiments by saying, “The shift to a virtual environment positively affected our culture because we are communicating more and doing more virtually to keep in contact.”

The leadership team at BB Imaging has created a culture of transparency and positivity that can be beneficial to team members. There are open communication lines across the organization to make sure people get the answers they need for the problems they encounter. The team also celebrates wins across the organization, big and small. “Everyone goes out of their way to congratulate and recognize team members in group meetings and team chats,” Siemens continued. “I feel that gives team members an extra boost of confidence they might not have been feeling otherwise. Leadership team members also show their gratitude and appreciation for team members who go the extra mile. Everyone wants each other to be successful, so there is a lot of encouragement all around, even in the face of the changes we made this year!”

The culture at BB Imaging centers around the belief that supported team members are productive and happy people. The leadership team has cultivated an organizational climate that allows team members to grow personally and professionally. With free massages, so sonographers can take care of their physical well-being, ensuring technical assistants know their advancement options, and team members naturally step up to help each other, there is a supportive family at BB Imaging.

Sonographers have an essential job; our goal at BB Imaging is to give them the resources they need to provide the highest quality care. One valuable resource we provide is a Clinical Technical Assistant (TA), a position that is rare or nonexistent elsewhere in the imaging field.

The duties of a TA can differ from region to region. They may include filling out invoices, patient billing, ensuring sonographer and patient comfort, and stocking rooms before each appointment. The priority of a TA is to handle administrative tasks allowing the sonographer to keep their primary focus on patient care, scanning patients, and writing reports. TAs anticipate sonographer needs, which can alleviate stress and reduce sonographer burnout.  Often on the front line, the TA provides the first impression of BB Imaging and the clinic.  They can offer a calm, friendly face to help alleviate patient anxiety.

TAs arrive at the clinic 30 minutes before the sonographer to clean and stock exam rooms, print the schedule, and triage the patients for the day. These tasks prepare the sonographer for the day’s expectations. As soon as the room is ready and stocked with necessary supplies, the TA records the patient’s information allowing the sonographer to begin scanning right away. Having the help of a TA also cuts down on time between appointments and makeup time if an exam is taking longer than anticipated. Once the patient and sonographer have begun the exam, the TA starts cleaning the vital stations outside the room and prepping for the next appointment.

After the last appointment of each day, TAs assist with billing by submitting invoices for each patient. They often become code experts who can quickly enter proper insurance and billing information. This service drastically cuts down on the time sonographers need to write reports and creates an efficient workflow. TAs then prepare for the next day by reviewing the schedule. They record all the necessary information about patients. This enhanced workflow cuts down on the time a sonographer spends reviewing the patient’s history.

The TA position is vital to the healthcare ecosystem and often serves as an effective means to acquire industry experience. Technical Assistants will gain first-hand knowledge about imaging and administration, which is valuable for developing careers in the medical field.

Unlike most of the ultrasound industry, BB imaging views TA support as a necessity in sonography clinics.  They allow our sonographers to keep their focus where it should be – on patient health. We strive to provide the best experience for our patients and our team. The role of the TA is vital for both.