Columbia Memorial | Health Compass | Winter 2019

Imaging all-stars Years at CMH: 38 As a teen, Chuck Chitwood seriously considered becoming a cardiologist. Many years later, he looks back on the wisdom of his high school health occupations teacher, who encouraged him to learn about other hospital departments. Although he spent a good chunk of time observing the coronary care unit in his local hospital, the time he spent in the Radiology Department had more impact. “One of the radiologists took the time to talk to me about the many facets of being a physician, and I decided that occupation was not for me,” Chuck says. “However, I did find myself enjoying the technologists I was with. They seemed to enjoy their job, and I was given responsibilities as the ‘chief nobody’ for the time I was with them.” While there, Chuck was told that if he got a degree in imaging technology, he’d have a job waiting for him. After he graduated, though, he’d been forgotten, and the job was offered to someone else. Wanting to stay close to his hometown of Roseburg, Oregon, he began the job search—but it proved discouraging. “God and I had a talk,” Chuck says. “I said, ‘Lord, I’m tired of looking for a job. If there’s one out there, you find it.’” The very next day, he was invited to interview with CMH in Astoria. His mother drove him up for the interview and was convinced that Astoria was “the den of iniquity” after she saw a sign advertising Finnish steam baths. Despite her concerns, Chuck took the job and has spent the last 38 years working in Imaging at CMH. For the past 12 years, Chuck has mainly worked in ultrasonography. He says CMH and Astoria have been good to him, and it’s been an honor to be there for those who are hurting. “What I enjoy about working here is that CMH allows me the time to treat my patients the way I think they deserve to be treated, like they are real people—like I would treat my own family,” Chuck says. “They tell you not to become emotionally involved with patients, but you can’t not become involved and be real.” Chuck looks forward to a retirement that’s within sight. He knows he’ll stay busy, because otherwise, “you rust.” Eventually, he and his wife hope to travel throughout the United States. Years at CMH: 40 Tammy Fastabend first started working at CMH in 1973, as a senior in high school. At that time, CMH was called Columbia Hospital and was in the St. Mary’s Hospital building, which now houses Clatsop Care Center. There were no computers, and the emergency room was one room. She was the first nighttime admitting clerk, and it was in that job that she met the x-ray technologists who influenced her to find a career in the field. In 1978, Tammy graduated from Portland Community College and came home to Astoria and CMH to work. For many years, she kept up with the various imaging modalities—x-ray, CT, nuclear medicine, mammography, ultrasound and others. However, for the past 25 years, Tammy has focused on mammography and ultrasound. She has enjoyed seeing the progression of technology and being able to detect early cancers and other things using radiology. “I enjoy working with the patients,” Tammy says. She says the “old-timers” who have been in the department for many years are like family. Although they are spread across CMH’s buildings now, the friendships remain. “I’ve developed great, lifetime friends—wonderful people to work with,” she says. “In the old days, we had a lot of fun in the department. A lot of teasing going on then.” Tammy says her spare moments are few, but she likes to sew and visit her children and grandchildren. She and her husband are building a cabin in the area, “off the grid,” where she hopes they’ll retire, relax and watch the elk. But, she says, “I’ll be missing the patients.” Tammy Fastabend, Ultrasound Technologist Chuck Chitwood, Ultrasound Technologist Find out more about our imaging services and locations by visiting columbiamemorial.org/imaging-services or by calling 503-338-7525 . 4 HEALTH COMPASS WINTER 2019