Grow Your Own Journey Series Michelle Crowther

MICHELLE CROWTHER
ECHO TECH - CARDIAC SONOGRAPHER
 

“As a provider in the SLV, you care for many people you know, even friends and family.”

Michelle Crowther, an SLV native, graduated from Sanford High School and Adams State University. She majored in Exercise Science with a Minor in Business Management and a Minor in Human Performance and Physical Education. Her practicum was at SLV Health in Cardiopulmonary Rehab where she was supervised by Janine Chumley. This was a positive experience, and she knew Cardiac Rehab was where she saw herself in the future. Janine encouraged her to look forward to advance her degree and see what else might also be out there in her future. Those words of encouragement stuck with Michelle throughout her life as she went on her mission to Northern California and returned to the SLV. She found a job at a bank and learned a lot about banking as she waited for the Cardiac Rehab position to open up again at SLVH.

Justin Fricke, SLVH Director of Specialty Services, remembered Michelle applying for a job and trying to get her foot in the door. In this interview, she mentioned Cardiac Rehab to be her dream job and where she wanted to end up. He contacted and encouraged her to apply when the Cardiopulmonary Rehab Exercise Physiologist position opened up again. She joined the team in 2019 and worked in this position for five years.
Michelle loved cardiac rehab, especially the relationship she developed with each patient and the life wisdom each shared with her. Michelle was with us during the pandemic, and this proved to be a challenge. The department shut down in-person services for several months, but Dr. Grigsby encouraged Michelle to stay in contact with their patients by calling them and offering support and education as they exercised at home. Once operating again, they were only able to address about half of their caseload. The patients had to exercise wearing masks, which proved to be a challenge. What worried the team the most was the overwhelming list of patients waiting for services.

Michelle loved her job, but one day, received an opportunity of a lifetime. The Director at the time, Tom Scrivana, with the help of SLV Health, offered to pay for her schooling to become a Cardiac Sonographer. She observed this position and found that this was something she would love to become. Michelle was blessed to have already taken all the prerequisite courses for the program and as everything fell into place she started the online Cardiac Sonography Program through Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.

Michelle stated, “SLVH graciously paid for the tuition, and I signed a contract to work here for 4 years. This was a win-win since I am originally from the valley, and I love working at SLV Health.” She balanced 30 hours of clinicals with 30 hours of paid employment and made it through an accelerated program in one year. She stated feeling as if she lived at the hospital, as she walked through those doors nearly every day of the week. She stuck with the tough schedule because she saw the light at the end of the tunnel and her goal of completion. Michelle passed her board exam prior to finishing the last semester and was allowed to skip the coursework for that semester and only focus on clinical hours, which was exciting! She graduated from the program with straight A’s which followed her lifelong goal to always shoot for straight A’s. She became internationally certified as a Registered Cardiac Sonographer through Cardiovascular Credentialing International.

In her new position, she works four 10-hour days and has enjoyed her three-day weekends. “At first, I didn’t know what to do with the extra free time I had after completing the program. I had to remember what my hobbies are,” laughs Michelle. She quickly remembered and now fills her extracurricular time with night sky viewing, wildlife/landscape photography, kayak fishing, drafting house plans, and family time. She graciously thanks SLVH for this life-changing opportunity!!