WINNEMUCCA — Diane Klassen is the new manager of Humboldt General Hospital’s Radiology Department.
She was named to the position following Bryn Echevarria’s retirement last month.
Klassen sports a long list of achievements and certifications that show she’s a perfect fit for the position, but perhaps the greatest thing Klassen brings to the job is her enthusiasm.
“What I love about HGH is my co-workers and my patients, and what I love about Radiology is the variety of exams we are able to perform,” she said.
Klassen added, “In our department, there is never a dull moment!”
Klassen began in Radiology 25 years ago—spending the last 12 years at HGH. Here, she served as a staff technologist for eight years and then lead technologist for the past four years under Echevarria.
And she has scored some monumental achievements during that time.
Klassen is registered through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists in Radiography, Mammography, Computed Tomography (CT), Mammography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
Additionally, she has achieved registrations in Obstetrical/Gynecological Ultrasound, Abdominal Ultrasound and Vascular Ultrasound, all from the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS).
It’s safe to say that Klassen places a very high priority on clinical excellence.
“Becoming registered in a modality is an incredibly rigorous, time-consuming process,” she said. “It requires a high level of competency in theory and practice.”
Each of Klassen’s technologists has multiple registries, and each has achieved national registry through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT).
A person is certified by the ARRT after meeting educational preparation standards, complying with ethics standards, and passing a comprehensive exam.
The department will continue to welcome new technologists as well as procedures that have never been performed in Winnemucca, so Klassen is looking forward to teaching them and helping them excel in such a clinically challenging environment.
Klassen will oversee some big projects in the near future too. This year, HGH’s Radiology Department will add a new Fluoroscopy room complete with a second X-ray machine. A new Mammography machine is also slated for the near future.
Klassen said she also has high hopes for the hospital’s new electronic health record software system through the Cerner Corporation to “help make our flow much smoother and streamlined.” That system will go live by the end of the year.
“I’m so excited for this challenge and want to help make HGH what it is meant to be—the best in patient care and patient experience that we can provide,” said Klassen.
For more information on Humboldt General Hospital’s Radiology Department or to make an appointment, please call (775) 623-5222, ext. 1131. Information about the department’s services is also available at https://www.hghospital.org/services/radiology/
