Photo: (l-r) Dr. Dianne Babcock, Marsha Brody and Tracey Adams (cerca 1977).
It’s difficult to put 39 years of stories and experiences into one article, so I asked those who have worked with Tracey Adams, who is retiring from her position as ultrasound technologist manager in the Radiology Department, to write about their favorite memories. So Tracey, take a trip down memory lane with many laughs and tears, and know you are going to be greatly missed! I know we will all come to appreciate you even more when we try to fill the void when you are gone. Thanks for all the hard work and expertise you have passed on to all of us. We will spread your knowledge to all those who will follow after you and retain everything you have taught us. Thanks to your family members who have lost precious time because of your magnitude of hours spent here. Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement. As one of our most faithful employees, you will be greatly missed. This is a true end of an era!
As the time dwindles for Tracey Adams as our supervisor, a certain sadness overcomes me. I am so happy for her and her upcoming retirement, but I am really going to miss walking through the ultrasound QC door and shouting, “Good morning, Tracey Adams, how was your weekend?” You’re probably wondering, why the sadness? People come and people go all the time. It is quite different in our department. We all share a special bond, and we are a family. I actually consider Tracey as the mom of the department. She is always available for work information, of course, but she has been there to listen to us day in and day out, too. We all have our friends and family, but I think our work friends know us pretty well too, maybe even more than our social friends. You spend the most time with these individuals—you laugh, you cry, and you experience each other’s lives and their children’s lives together. Tracey Adams has always been the glue that stuck us together or the nuclei of the cell. She kept 36 women and one man working together as a team and better yet… a family. We all work together, but we all pull together when someone in the mix is having emotional, health, or family issues. Oh, of course, we all have our differences and our disagreements, but doesn’t every family have that? I am beginning to believe the people you work with are the ones who recognize things first before your own spouse– your new haircut, the change in color of your hair, or just the sadness or happiness in your eyes. They are the first to ask, “Are you OK?” because they know you more than you think. For 39 years Tracey Adams has been the “go-to” person when we had issues or just had simple questions that needed answering. We always said, “Ask Tracey; she will know.”
Photo: (lf-rt) Dr. Dianne Babcock, Marsha Brody and Tracey Adams.
Tracey’s 39 years here at Cincinnati Children’s have not only been great for us, but great for pediatric ultrasound imaging. She started back in 1977 and joined forces with Marsha Brody and Dr. Diane Babcock in developing a pediatric ultrasound department to be one of the best in the country. Tracey became the manager in 1988 and her guidance, mentoring, and encouragement have helped my fellow co-workers and myself become very successful in our pediatric imaging. I think one very interesting fact is the ultrasound’s department employee longevity. In Tracey’s 39 years here at Cincinnati Children’s, three employees have left due to husbands being transferred out of state, and only one person left for another job. This just goes to show how much it has been a joy working for such a wonderful boss. Tracey has been a true inspiration for many of us, and her guidance and expertise has taught us to be great sonographers.
“Retiring from work will be wonderful for you. It will enable you to pick up forgotten hobbies and enjoy much more time with family and friends. It will mark the beginning of living for yourself! Since knowing you for so many years, I will miss reminiscing about school days, old friends, events that happened in the 70s and 80s, and the looks from our younger co-workers in awe as we talked about the past (giggle, giggle). But what I will miss the most is your smile, gentle authoritative voice, laughter and just…YOU!!! And I cannot tell you in words just how much.” -Pam Feldkamp
“Congratulations on your retirement! It has been a pleasure working with you, not only as a boss but also as a friend. You will be deeply missed, but now you are free and you can relax and enjoy your husband, kids and grandkids!” -Molly Dirr
Contributed by Stacie L Sehlhorst and edited by Glenn Miñano, (BFA).
Glenn Miñano is a media specialist in the Department of Radiology, providing graphic design, photography, printing, video services, and administration of the department’s online properties. His works have been published in several medical articles, such as the American Journal of Radiology and the American Institute of Ultrasound. He has been providing these services to the Radiology Department since 1996.
