Changing technology can be intimidating to some, but Yolanda Fields enjoys utilizing the advanced technologies available to her as a Radiologic Technologist at the Northwest Indiana Breast Care Centers at Methodist Hospitals. Working in the mammography department, patient care is what the job is all about, and advancing technology only helps to better care for patients.
Taking a stressful procedure and making a patient feel at ease during it can be a difficult and demanding job. Fields, however, enjoys the challenge and finds it rewarding when she enables a patient to relax.
“What makes it rewarding is the patient contact. Being able to take an exam that is very stressful for a woman, I like the fact that I can make them feel comfortable from the beginning to the end,” said Fields.
Fields got into radiology in 1986 after her graduation. She began with x-ray and has worked in many different positions within the imaging department. Moving into mammography was not intentional, but is a decision she has not regretted.
“I had kids and wanted to work part time, and when the hospital decided to make mammography its own thing, I happened to be in the room and asked if I could train on it,” Fields said.
She soon began training and working in the mammography department and has enjoyed experiencing the advances in technology over time. Methodist hospitals have been known for their advanced technology and innovative breast care center. They were one of the first hospitals in the area to receive a three-dimensional imaging unit, allowing them to lead the way in imaging services.
“I enjoy the technological changes I’ve seen that have happened across the years. Now everything is digital,” said Fields.
Advancing technology and patient interaction are just a couple of the reasons Fields loves radiology and believes others can find the reward in it too. She encourages young people not to overlook radiology as a future career. In a time when many are heading out to be nurses or doctors, she wants to remind people that radiology is a rewarding career as well.
“We don’t get a lot of African Americans in this particular field so I like to encourage even youth to consider this field,” said Fields.
In her spare time, Fields enjoys heading over to Lake Michigan and the beach. Her favorite part is the beautiful view our lakeshore provides. Fields believes there aren’t many things that compare to having a lake so close to home.
“I just left Atlanta for a reunion, it was beautiful, but it didn’t have a lake. Up here, that’s the attraction,” said Fields.
Fields also enjoys the hometown people of northwest Indiana and knows that her work is helping the women of the area. Understanding women’s health is valuable, and being able to make someone comfortable during these procedures is often difficult, but a challenge she welcomes.
