Kevin Kibler of Henrietta uses a radiation camera and gamma-rays emitted by radioactive material injected into a patient's body to test organ function and help diagnose medical conditions.
Kevin Kibler, 51, a nuclear medical technologist, sits by a nuclear gamma camera at Strong Memorial Hospital.
(Photo: LAUREN PETRACCA/@LaurenPetracca/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Nuclear medicine technologist Kevin Kibler is a highly specialized type of photographer, using a radiation camera and gamma-rays emitted by radioactive material injected into a patient's body to test organ function and help diagnose medical conditions.
"The nice thing about nuclear medicine is it's all physiologic," said Kibler, who works at Strong Memorial Hospital. "Other tests form an image through the body. This is the opposite. We take advantage of what the body is doing by tricking it with our radioactive tracer. The image we get shows whether there is disease, or whether it has spread."
According to the New York State Department of Labor, employment opportunities for nuclear medicine technologists are projected to grow 11.1 percent between 2010 and 2020.
Kibler, 51, who lives in Henrietta, prepares and administers radiopharmaceuticals and medications, uses advanced computer technology to take prescribed images, then sends those images to a radiologist for interpretation.
Though most of his patients are dealing with a cancer diagnosis, he also does scans for children with kidney and stomach problems and adults who may have disorders affecting the brain.
Thomas LoStracco, a radiology resident, dictates a report for medical records based on scans from the nuclear gamma camera at Strong Memorial Hospital on Monday, March 30, 2015. (Photo: LAUREN PETRACCA/@LaurenPetracca/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Good communication skills are essential to explain procedures, keep patients at ease, and show sympathy.
"Sometimes you can get really difficult patients," said Kibler, who has an associate's degree in medical laboratory technology from Alfred State College and a bachelor's degree in nuclear medicine technology from Rochester Institute of Technology. He also is licensed by New York State and certified by the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board.
"They're either in a lot of pain and may not be able to do all the positions needed in order to get an adequate scan, or they're not feeling that well and don't want to do it at all," he added. "You do the best you can to convince them that a quality study is needed to help them."
Kevin Kibler, a nuclear medical technologist, turns on the nuclear gamma camera in the nuclear imaging room at Strong Memorial Hospital on Monday, March 30, 2015. (Photo: LAUREN PETRACCA/@LaurenPetracca/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
The job: Nuclear medicine technologists use a scanner to create images of various areas of a patient's body. They prepare radioactive drugs and administer them to patients undergoing the scans. The radioactive drugs cause abnormal areas of the body to appear different from normal areas in the images.
The pay: The median annual pay for nuclear medicine technologists was $70,180 in May 2012.
The prospects: Employment of nuclear medicine technologists in the Finger Lakes region is expected to grow by 11.1 percent between 2010 and 2020.
The preparation: Nuclear medicine technologists typically need an associate's degree in nuclear medicine technology. Formal education programs in nuclear medicine technology or a related healthcare field lead to a certificate, an associate's degree, or a bachelor's degree. Technologists must be licensed in some states; requirements vary by state.
Sources: New York State Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor
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