John,



    I too worked in a dedicated vascular laboratory, however, it was in a

physician's office (Cardiology/Cardiovascular Surgery).  I took it upon

myself to ask to learn echo since it was so close by. I have never regretted

it. I went to one of our regional offices to start their vascular services

and to teach their echo tech and their cardiologists how to do vascular. It

was a win win situation.



I now am employed by a different cardiologists office and we have one

vascular sonographer. Myself and a coworker (both from the previous office)

provide cover for the vascular sonographer when  he gets overloaded or when

he is off.  I think it has been a wonderful experience knowing and performing

both modalities. It has been very enlightening. One of the things I enjoyed

was helping the cardiologist learn to read vascular. He of course had other

training than just me, but I felt that it was important for him to realize,

and he did, just how much input we have in the quality of the final outcome

of the examination and the diagnosis. I believe that I have an even better

understanding of vascular technology now that I have learned echocardiography

and the echocardiographer that I trained has the same insight as I do

concerning her echo experience after learning vascular.



It is my understanding that you are the manager or technical director? If so,

or if you  have input, just try to make it clear to the powers that be that

the cross training will take about a year if that ever comes into play. That

goes either way, vascular to echo or echo to vascular.



Good luck to you,



Kelly Estes RDMS, RDCS, RVT



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