June 16, 2014: That date should be one of the most significant milestones in our Cincinnati Children’s Radiology Department history. We’ve come a long way from that date. As the saying goes, “It’s not about the bike, it’s about the ride,” and what a ride we have had. We could list the significant blogs we have posted, but this post is about the group that keep the blog up and running.
The group that helps maintain and create the blog has evolved and changed over the years, and I would like to recognize them all: Dr. Alex Towbin, Tim O’Connor, Catherine Leopard, Wendy Bankes, Tony Dandino, Chris Alsip, Sarah Kaupp, Paula Bennett, Bessie Ganim, Janet Adams, Michelle Gramke, Alyssa McAfee, Sparkle Netto (Torruella) and last but not least Meredith Towbin. At the end of each fiscal year in our department (June), each editor has been given the chance to leave the group since participation is voluntary. However, we’ve been able to keep and recruit a stable group of around five editors.
Here is a short introduction to our Radiology Blog group and where they are now (in no particular order):
- Dr. Alex Towbin
- The blog would exist without the imagination and efforts of Dr. Alex Towbin. Working with Radiology Department leadership and the Cincinnati Children’s Marketing Department, he was able to get the ball rolling, initiating Radiology having its own blog on the hospital website. Dr. Towbin is still with the blog.
- Tim OConnor
- Tim is the Director of Informatics in the Department of Radiology. He has been with the department for over eight years now. Some of his hobbies are growing banana plants and photography. Tim is still with the blog.
- Catherine Leopard
- Catherine is a Child Life Specialist who works in Cincinnati Children’s Department of Radiology. She has always been drawn to helping children overcome their fears. As a young child, Catherine remembers sitting in her pediatrician’s office feeling sad as she listened to young babies crying in exam rooms. In response, she began singing lullabies through the walls to sooth and comfort those children in distress. As an adult, she first experienced the support of Child Life when her infant daughter was hospitalized. After that positive experience, Catherine completed her Child Life internship at Cincinnati Children’s and has worked here ever since. Her daughter is now a teenager and her son is an active third grader. Catherine is still with the blog.
- Wendy Bankes
- Wendy was a Project Manager for the department of Radiology. Wendy has worked at Cincinnati Children’s for over six years and has a passion for improving patient and employee satisfaction. Wendy is happily married to Tim Bankes and they have been blessed with two adorable daughters. Wendy enjoys spending time with her family and friends as well as volunteering with kids. Wendy has since moved on from the blog and Radiology and works with the Critical Care Tower group of the hospital.
- Tony Dandino
- Our readers may recognize Tony more than the rest of the group, since he’s one of the most photographed personalities on the blog–not because he’s always wanting to be photographed, but because a majority of the staff runs away from me when they see camera in hand. Tony is an MRI technologist at Cincinnati Children’s. Tony has been in his role for several years and serves as a Charge Tech, Quality Improvement Coach and Safety Coach for the MRI department. Tony has always known he wanted to work with children and in the medical field. Working at Cincinnati Children’s has been the best of both worlds. Every day is something new and Tony can’t wait to start the next adventure. Tony is still with the blog.
- Chris Alsip
- Chris was the former Manager of Quality Assurance and Compliance for the Cincinnati Children’s Department of Radiology. He has a passion for and dedication to lowering radiation doses in pediatric imaging. Chris is married with two beautiful young daughters and loves spending every minute of his free time taking them to the zoo, museum, and any amusement park within driving distance. Chris has moved on to become the Director of Medical Imaging at Nemours, Orlando, Florida.
- Sarah Kaupp
- Sarah was a Reading Room Assistant in the Radiology Department. She and her husband Keith have been married for 10+ years and have two beautiful daughters named Sarhea (Suh-ray-uh) and Kelby. Sarhea has Cystic Fibrosis and Sarah is very involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She is also the parent advisor on the Image Gently Steering Committee. Sarah has moved from the blog and Radiology and accepted an administrative position in the hospital that fit better into her family schedule.
- Paula Bennett
- Paula has been a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer at Cincinnati Children’s since 2003. She moved to Cincinnati after serving in the U.S. Army for six years as a Radiology Specialist and Sonographer. She has worked at several of the outpatient locations as well as the main campus. Paula enjoys working in pediatrics and takes pride in being part of one of the top pediatric hospitals in the nation. She lives in Loveland with her husband and three sons. Paula is now the Manager to the Ultrasound Division of Radiology. Since her workload/responsibility has increased she is no longer an active Editor, but still contributes to the blog from time to time.
- Bessie Ganim
- Bessie is a Nuclear Medicine Technologist. She has been an employee of Cincinnati Children’s for 10 years and has always wanted a career working with kids. At home she has two energetic children and loves being a mom more than anything. She is passionate about equal rights for the LGBT community. Bessie is still with the blog.
- Janet Adams
- Janet is a sonographer at Cincinnati Children’s. She has worked in the Ultrasound Department for over 26 years, and clearly has a passion for working with children. Janet serves as a lead Safety Coach, TJC representative, and education resource for her department. She enjoys challenging exams, and is involved in local and global ultrasound research projects. When she is not at work, her four children and nine grandchildren keep her very busy! Janet is still with the blog.
- Michelle Gramke
- Michelle is a Sonographer and has worked at Cincinnati Children’s for almost 26 years. She loves her job and loves working with kids. She is a lifetime Westsider (a person who lives on the west side of Cincinnati) and is married with three kids. Michelle is still with the blog.
- Alyssa McAfee
- Alyssa is one of the newest members to our blog team and is a CT/MRI Coordinator for the Radiology Department. She had always dreamed of working at Cincinnati Children’s and made that dream a reality when she joined the team in 2015. Alyssa is involved in many different committees and projects within the Radiology Department and looks forward to every day at work as a new adventure!
- Sparkle Netto (Torruella)
- Sparkle was recently married, hence the change to her name. Sparkle is the Regulatory Affairs Coordinator for the Radiology Department. She has been with the department since April 2016. Sparkle joined the Cincinnati Children’s family almost six years ago after experiencing a medical emergency with one of her children that touched her deeply. Changing careers to come to Cincinnati Children’s, Sparkle believes in the hospital’s mission to change outcomes and be better together not just in the institution but in the community. She loves children! When she’s not at work, she’s taking on new adventures with her three small children. Sparkle is still with the blog.
- Meredith Towbin
- Meredith is our blog Copy Editor and is also married to Dr. Alex Towbin. Together they make a great team. Meredith is a writer and also has a blog of her own. Check it out! Meredith is still our Copy Editor.
As for me, Glenn Miñano, I’m still still managing the blog, making sure articles, editors, writers, etc., are all on schedule. The show must go on. I still take the photos that you see on our blog and yes, the staff still runs and hides when they see me walking the halls with my camera in hand.
Five hundred posts and still going. One thousand posts is another four years down the road, and as they say, “It’s not how fast you get there, but what happens in between.” Thank you to everyone who helped us get to our 500th blog post!
