Technologist to Watch 2015: David Howard

The winner of the technologist category of our Top People to Watch in Radiology 2015 contest: David Howard, registered sonographer and vascular technologist, Context Vision AB.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_crop","fid":"44342","attributes":{"alt":"David Howard ","class":"media-image media-image-right","id":"media_crop_1519994994165","media_crop_h":"0","media_crop_image_style":"-1","media_crop_instance":"4943","media_crop_rotate":"0","media_crop_scale_h":"0","media_crop_scale_w":"0","media_crop_w":"0","media_crop_x":"0","media_crop_y":"0","style":"height: 250px; width: 250px; float: right;","title":"David Howard ","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]

What is your greatest accomplishment?

Professionally, I am not sure if I can pinpoint any one thing that I regard as my greatest accomplishment. Everything that I have been blessed with in my career over the years has served to make me a better person and better health care professional.

I have worked as a staff radiologic technologist and offered to train and start a new prostate ultrasound physician training service in the 1980s. That opened the door for me to obtain my abdomen and obstetrics/gynecology registries. I moved to Nashville in the late 1980s to allow myself to learn other areas of ultrasound, such as cardiac and vascular. I worked as an ultrasound supervisor at a busy ultrasound lab offering all areas of ultrasound (abdomen, obstetrics/gynecology, cardiac, vascular, and ophthalmologic). During this time, in the 1990s, I worked in developing a research protocol for penile doppler/erectile dysfunction. Then, I went on to the commercial side of the business, helping to pioneer the use of ultrasound contrast which provided even more experience in the research arena and allowed me to travel and learn from international specialists.

After a short time back in the clinical field as a travel sonographer, I joined my current company (Context Vision), providing clinical expertise in helping OEM clients enhance their imaging products.

What has been your biggest challenge throughout your career?

My biggest challenge throughout my career is probably the same as most professionals out there. That is the challenge of balancing a family life amidst all the chaos of developing a professional career. My career is important to me, but the development and welfare of my family comes first.

What is a goal you have for the remainder of your career?

I have had the privilege of working with some amazing people and learning from some of the best in the field. My goal in life, as well as my career, is that I hope and pray that I will be able to provide someone at least a little bit of insight into some area of their life whether that be personally, professionally, or spiritually.

What change would you like to see happen in radiology in next 10 years?

I am not sure on this one. Who knows where we will be in 10 years? So much has happened in the 25 years I have been active in the profession. But, I do hope that even with all of the advances making imaging better and easier that those individuals who decide to pursue this profession take an interest in providing the best possible service with or without digital advances. After all, the heart of health care is in the individual not the technology.