July 2006 | Vol. 24, No. 7

Biography of 2006 SVU Outstanding Chapter Individual Award Recipient Kathleen M. Garcia, BS, RVT, RDCS

Four years ago the Houston Society of Non-Invasive Vascular Technology (HSNIVT) was on the verge of collapse. Membership was dwindling; educational CME opportunities for vascular ultrasound technologists in the greater Houston area were non-existent. Through the hard work and dedication of the vascular community, the Board and leadership from the HSNIVT chapter made a complete turnaround. I was tapped to take the Presidential spot in July 2005. In the past year, we have offered 9.5 CME’s, increased membership, established funding towards a vascular scholarship and improved the bottom line overall. Our meetings are attended by an increasing breadth from the ultrasound community. Houston is an enormous area; it is the fourth largest city in the US. We have horrific traffic and, in light of these mobility issues, the HSNIVT increased the span to include CME opportunities in the underserved outlying areas.

Alvin Community College has been an integral part of the renaissance of the HSNIVT. Students from the Vascular Technology Program at Alvin Community College are actively involved in the HSNIVT in several ways. Students are assigned to a Board member to assist at Board and educational meetings: take notes, type minutes, and send emails, faxes, assist in registration, hand out CME’s, collect evaluations, assist in setting up meetings and clean up. The students gain valuable experience and networking with leaders in our profession. They also receive honors credit for volunteering with HSNIVT. This honor is noted on their school transcript. Awards are also received from the college.

Over the past year the leadership of HSNIVT developed an application and guidelines for a vascular student scholarship. The HSNIVT scholarship fund is on track and in the process of raising funds to award the first HSNIVT vascular student scholarship this fall.

In my profession as a Research Ultrasound Scientist in the Cardiovascular Laboratory, at NASA Johnson Space Center, I have one of the coolest jobs on Earth. I have been blessed with one of the most interesting professions one can have in the field of ultrasound. Yes, I have mundane analyses and the drudgery of maintaining the ever growing database of images (did I mention I do analysis?). I also set out to all corners of the earth to perform cardiac and vascular ultrasound procedures in support of preflight and landing medical requirements of astronauts and Russian cosmonauts.

Recently, plans were announced for long-term goals including planning missions back to the Moon and, in the future, Mars. Vascular ultrasound is an inexpensive non-invasive tool that is being used to explore the functional changes to space traveler’s physiology. As part of the research to support long duration flight, we are currently conducting a series of 90-day, 6 head down tilt (6 HDT) bed rest studies as an analogue to long duration space flight. Tilted bed rest is a similar environment sans the microgravity. Test subjects experience a similar fluid shift, muscle and bone loss. Many of these physiological changes mimic spaceflight. This testing can also be done here on Earth; hence it is called “ground based testing.” Ground based models can be performed less expensively in a controlled environment and with a greater number of participants or test subjects. Vascular ultrasound is used to assess endothelial and smooth muscle function. Vascular tone may be reduced by space flight. Multiple mechanisms are involved. This vascular testing is performed as part of the standard measure to assess functional changes that occur with extended 6 HDT bed rest.

On board the International Space Station (ISS) there is a fully functional ultrasound system with high quality imaging capability, a vascular package and a 12 MHz linear probe. The mechanics involved in gathering ultrasound data from onboard the ISS are currently being tested with the Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity (ADUM) project. ADUM utilizes Onboard Proficiency Educational (OPE) software program training prior to and during the mission. As the one of the vascular ultrasound experts on the ADUM team, I have participated in remote guidance of vascular ultrasound crewmembers onboard the ISS. The OPE software guides the astronaut or cosmonaut through complex ultrasound procedures. The goal of this training is autonomous astronaut sonography. Autonomous astronaut sonography is the future of non-invasive ultrasound in space medicine since, in case of emergency, clinical expertise will be many miles away. FAST scanning protocols have been developed to quickly guide the astronaut/cosmonaut through routine and unusual uses of ultrasound. Countless hours are spent rehearsing potential emergency procedures and medical experiments with the help of remote guidance from the broad team of ultrasound experts on Earth guiding the crew from Mission Control in Houston. These procedures are a contingency for potential emergency as well as gathering precious physiologic information. It has been a real thrill to be part of the ADUM team.

As part of the ADUM team, I also have the opportunity to test and verify vascular ultrasound techniques in a weightless environment. There is no magical anti-gravity chamber here at Johnson Space Center, but we do have the center for reduced gravity aka: “The Vomit Comet.” The reduced-gravity environment is obtained with a specially modified KC-135A turbojet transport which flies parabolic arcs to produce weightless periods of 20 to 25 seconds. The KC-135A also provides short periods of lunar (1/6) and Martian (1/3) gravity. Recently, I performed a research experiment for the ADUM team on the DC-9, the newest plane used for reduced gravity testing.

I also work PRN at the local hospital and perform the clinical range of vascular ultrasound testing and take call one week per month.

I am married to Rick Garcia, a Senior Sales Consultant for a large medical ultrasound manufacturing company. I am a step-mom to Reese Garcia. I have three cats and a Yorkie terrier named Dolly.

I am truly honored for being selected as the recipient of the 2006 Outstanding Individual in a Chapter award. I am privileged and honored to serve the vascular community in this capacity.