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As we looked around our hospital recently, we noticed a quiet but powerful pattern: many of our most skilled team members didn’t arrive here with those titles. They grew into them. They are people who saw a possibility, put in the work, and found a culture ready to back them up. This series is called "Growing Our Own," and Julia’s journey from the front desk to medical imaging is a testament to what is possible when curiosity meets community.

Number One Priority

When Julia joined our registration team in the summer of 2022, she wasn’t looking for a career path. "I really just wanted to be a stay-at-home mom," she remembers. Fresh off having her daughter, she simply needed a job to provide for her family.

She started at the lobby desk, answering phones and helping with odd jobs. Because of HIPAA restrictions, her role was limited at first. At that stage, she didn't see herself in the medical field at all. She was a mom first, and the hospital was just where she worked.

Everything changed when Julia moved into radiology scheduling. Suddenly, she was immersed in the clinical world, watching the team work behind the scenes. "I’ve always been the person that’s like, ‘Well, what if I did that?’" she says.

She brought that curiosity to the Radiology Manager, Maggie. Because they had built a foundation of friendship and trust, Maggie took action. Maggie "put a bug" in administration's ear, and the conversation escalated quickly. Soon, Julia found herself in a meeting with Wes (Admin) to discuss her future. "You never feel completely ready to do anything like that," Julia admits, but having a leader "pulling her up the cliff" made the leap possible.

Grit

In August 2023, just one year after joining the hospital, Julia entered X-ray school. She had a head start because she had already completed her pre-requisites, but the road was still demanding.

While completing her education, Julia balanced a full-time job, motherhood, and the 1,800 clinical hours required for her program. Her work ethic was what we call "forward center of mass", she wasn't just keeping up; she was leaning in. By her fourth semester, she was so far ahead that she began learning CT imaging on the side to be ready for the next step of her career before she even graduated.

Culture of Equals

During her training, Julia completed clinical rotations at other facilities. The difference in culture was undeniable. At other sites, she felt "tolerated," like a student who had to "pay their dues" before being taken seriously.

"Here, I never felt like the annoying student. They were happy to teach me and very patient. I still felt like an equal. " Julia continues, “The team included me as a student and now, I love being a part of a team with those who taught me the job”.

The Radiology team didn't approach her as someone to be supervised; they welcomed her as a future colleague and a friend.

In April 2025, Julia officially became a licensed Radiologic Technologist. Today, Julia finds enjoyment in understanding as much as she can about her trade and her role in the process. “it's not in my scope of practice to diagnose. However, I do like to be in this, the process of understanding the diagnosis. I do like to research pathologies, which is seeing certain things in the scans and learning about anatomy and the way the body works and pathologies and diagnoses and all that”. With her passion for learning its not surprising that she’s already looking toward the future, with her sights set on adding an MRI certification to her skill set.

While her daughter remains her number one priority, Julia has found that having a career she worked for doesn't take away from being a mom, it accentuates it. "It helps to show my daughter that she can do whatever she puts her mind to," she says “I found my passion in helping people. I enjoy helping the community and offering a helping hand how I can.”

Julia’s story is the heartbeat of our "Growing Our Own" philosophy. It’s about a community that recognizes your role, values your questions, and supports your hustle.