June 2005 | Vol. 23, No. 6

Member Profile

Jean M. Alessi, BA RVT RDMS

Technical Director
Vascular Diagnostic Laboratory
Brigham & Women’s Hospital
Boston, MA

What degrees and credentials do you have?

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Natural Sciences. I also became credentialed by ARDMS in vascular technology in 1993 and abdominal in 1997.

How long have you been in the vascular technology profession?

I started with on the job training in 1992.

What made you decide to enter vascular technology as a career?

I had been working in a vascular surgery research lab working in an animal OR and when grant money was running out, I ended up sitting at a bench mixing chemicals. That wasn’t for me, so I started to look for a career in health care. I decided to go to ultrasound school at night. About 8 months later, there was an advertisement for a vascular technologist position that included on the job training. I did not know the first thing about the job, but having worked in a vascular surgery research lab and having knowledge of ultrasound made me the perfect candidate, so I decided to go for it.

What do you like best about your current position?

Call me crazy, but I have enjoyed working on the lab’s ICAVL applications over the years. Keeping on top of the quality assurance issues, billing and coding, and case study reviews are just a few of my favorite things. I have also enjoyed working with the vendors on some of the smaller scale clinical trials.

When did you join SVU?

I joined SVU, then SVT, in 1994. I attended my first Annual Conference in Orlando, FL, that year. I was awestruck by the speakers and learned so much. I set a goal for myself that someday I would be up there doing presentations. It took me three years to get the guts to do it!

Have you served on an SVU committee, if so, which ones and when?

I was a member of the Nomination Committee from 2000-2001, a member of the Membership Committee in 2000, and a member of the Chapters Committee from 2000-2004. I also was the Chapters Committee Northeast Chapters Regional Advisor from 2002-2004.

Are you a member of an SVU affiliated chapter?

I am a member of the Greater Boston Vascular Technologists (GBVT), and served as chapter president from1999 to 2001.

How do you think SVU and its Chapters can work better together in the future?

By keeping the lines of communication open. Over the past few years, there has been a tremendous effort on the part of SVU to deliver information to its members and the affiliated chapters on a regular basis. There are still many chapter members that are not members of SVU. Continued updates by chapter presidents relaying important messages from the national office is key to the education, job security and well being of all vascular technologists.

What do you feel are the biggest issues facing vascular technologists today?

The shortage of technologists is one our biggest issues. As the vascular technologists’ workforce shrinks because of muscular-skeletal injuries and burnout, the rest of us are forced to do more. This leaves little time to thoroughly train new recruits and teach them the medical side of vascular disease. Having that background in vascular diseases gives each of us the knowledge we need to better help our patients.

How can SVU better serve its members in the future?

SVU does a lot to serve its members: offering great educational courses and an annual conference, as an informational resource, and continuing work on the various regulatory/legislative issues. The members need to help in return. Let’s all continue to work on George and Dave’s new member campaign, EACH ONE, REACH ONE! When membership grows, we are able to get new people with fresh ideas and in turn, SVU can better continue its mission.

What do you do for fun and relaxation when not working?

When I am not working, I am busy with my 22-month old and 12-week old daughters.