March 2006 | Vol. 24, No. 3

SVU Member Profile

Vicki M. Gatz, RVT

Master Vascular Technologist
University of Kentucky Hospital
Lexington, KY

When did you start this position?

I started at the University of Kentucky (UK) in 1981 as a pulmonary function tech and moved into Vascular Technology in 1989. I left to manage a Cardiovascular Lab in Johnson City, TN, in 1999, but returned to my same old job at UK in July 2002.

What degrees and credentials do you have?

I have a Bachelor’s degree in “Home Missions” from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and a Master’s of Science in Public Health from UK.

Where and when did you get your vascular training?

I am an old-fashioned OJT tech, receiving all of my training at UK. I was hired to do carotid duplexes for a research study half of the time and learned to perform all types of clinical exams the other half of my day. At the time, I either needed to go back to school or find a career that would let me advance without going back to school. I thought vascular technology training would be an excellent example of the latter. And I love it! I love interacting with patients, educating them about their disease process and our test modality. I love the challenge of a difficult exam and the high acuity of patients we treat at UK.

When did you join SVU?

I joined SVU, then SVT, in 1999.

Have you served on an SVU Committee, if so, which one(s) and when?

While I’ve never served in on a committee officially for SVU, I did participate in SVU’s government relations activity in our state a few years ago when the KY/IN Medicare carrier became the only one to enact requirements for lab accreditation/registered technologists and then, RESCINDED it. So far, the efforts to persuade our carrier to reconsider this issue have not been successful on the local level. But, I do feel this is one of the key issues facing our profession as this is pursued on a national level. We have great professional societies in the SVU, ARDMS and ICAVL, who are striving to raise the standards for those who practice vascular ultrasound and we all need to support them every way we can as they advocate for us on the frontlines.

Are you a member of an SVU Affiliated Chapter?

Currently, I’m the President of our state SVU affiliated chapter – the Kentucky Vascular Society. We’re a small society, so we’ve all served in multiple roles over the years. I have also served as the Vice President several years ago.

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

I like what Shelly Burns is doing with the SVU Chapter listserv for Chapter presidents. It’s been great to hear other chapter presidents having similar struggles and what they’ve tried to remedy various situations.

If married, what is your husband’s name? Do you have any children? If so, what are their names and ages?

On the personal side, I’m married to Dick Gatz. We just celebrated our 25th anniversary in January. We have two great adopted kids that we’ve had since they were 3 days old. Our oldest, Maria, 19, moved back to Johnson City, TN, this past summer. Our son, Colin, is 8 years old. He is very active in any sport that requires the use of a ball, so I spend a lot of time watching him play, something I enjoy tremendously.

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

I love to read, mostly crime fiction, like John Sandford and Michael Connolly. And, I love to walk, having walked off about 50 lbs. in the last three years. Go me!