ACMH Provides Onsite Echocardiograms and more with Heartland Ultrasonography Group
To close out American Heart Month, Audubon County Memorial Hospital would like to introduce Andrew Rebik, owner of Heartland Ultrasonography Group (HUG) to the Audubon Community.
ACMH hired Heartland Ultrasonography Group as their mobile service unit to perform onsite echocardiograms (heart ultrasound) and many vascular ultrasounds.
Andrew Rebik is a registered cardiac and vascular sonographer. His company, Heartland Ultrasonography Group was established in 2022 and is an independent cardiovascular ultrasound mobile service based out of the Des Moines area. Rebik owns and operates Heartland with two other sonographers.
ACMH reached out to HUG when they were in need of an onsite cardiovascular sonographer. Rebik said, “Our company was brand new at that time. We were confident that we could offer a great service, but we knew that any hospital was going to see a new company with no track record as a risk. We were elated when Radiology Director, Jessica Fastert, RT(R)(M)(CT), reached out and wanted to set up a meeting. I had never been to Audubon until the day I first met Jessica and the administration team. I remember how comfortable they made me feel.”
Rebik continued stating that “I felt that I was there to share information about our mobile service and not once did I feel pressure to ‘sell’ it. Our discussion was transparent and simple. Their needs matched our service, so it didn’t take long to agree to terms and set a start date. ACMH not only got us off the ground, but we have also used their model as a valuable resource for every partnership we’ve established since. Somebody had to be first, and we are forever grateful that ACMH was willing to take a chance on us. It has been going great since day one, but I have to say again, none of it would be possible without the support of the radiology staff. Julie McVay, Jessica Fastert, RT(R)(M)(CT), Sydnee Partridge RT(R)(M)(CT) and Aaron Folk, RT(R)(CT). They are the biggest contributors to the success of our partnership with ACMH.”
When asked to describe the difference between working in the city versus a rural community, Rebik said that he worked in a large city hospital for seventeen years prior to providing their mobile service. “Immediately after starting at ACMH, I knew that I was going to love the small hospital workplace. The main thing that stands out is how quickly I felt like one of the staff, not just within the radiology department but everywhere in the hospital. Everyone says hello when passing in the hallway, including physicians. Patients arrive for their appointment, and everyone knows them by name. The sense of community is pretty remarkable.”
Rebik goes on to say what he likes best about the partnership with ACMH is the relationships that he has with the radiology staff. “I couldn’t do my job without their help. Each of them makes the work environment enjoyable in their own way. I also enjoy building rapport with patients. I always try to get a feel for each person when we get started. Some love to engage in conversation, others seem to prefer complete silence. I’m fine either way.”
It was clear from the beginning that patient-centered care and service expertise would be the foundation of this successful partnership. Rebik states that, “Our number one priority is patient satisfaction. This means starting every exam on time, taking time to explain everything involved and to answer questions, and doing all we can to make the patient comfortable.” Patients can expect the exam to last anywhere from twenty minutes to a little over an hour.
Rebik explains that ultrasound has two major benefits. “1: It’s non-invasive and 2: Unlike radiography, there is no risk of exposure. The machines have amazing capabilities. Super high-frequency sound waves (not audible to humans) are emitted by a probe. When placed on the patient, they travel through the body and reflect off internal structures (i.e. organs and vessels). The machine generates a detailed real-time image of what’s going on in that region of the body. Ultrasound is commonly ordered by physicians because it provides a comprehensive assessment of what’s in question. For example, an echocardiogram looks at the heart muscle function and can determine if a previous heart attack has caused damage, it also measures the size and structure of the four chambers and major vessels. Finally, it uses Doppler technology to assess blood flow through the heart valves.”
For questions or to set up an appointment, call ACMH Radiology Department at 712-563-5225.
