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In this episode of Sonographers After Dark, Lara sits down with Carlton Hartwell, ACS, RDCS, FASE and they dive into the evolving role of the Advanced Cardiac Sonographer (ACS) and what it truly means to move beyond scanning into leadership, education, and quality-driven practice.
While the ACS credential has been around for years, many healthcare organizations are still trying to define how to fully utilize these highly trained professionals. We explore the real-world responsibilities of the ACS—from protocol development and lab leadership to research involvement and advanced procedures like TEE. They also break down the pathway to credentials like ACS and American Society of Echocardiography fellowship, and why these designations are becoming increasingly important in today’s echo landscape. The conversation expands into:
If you’ve ever wondered what’s next in your career as a sonographer—or how to elevate your role within your lab—this episode is for you. Watch the full episode here or listen on your favorite platform: Spotify, Apple Podcast, iHeartRadio YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SonographersAfterDark TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sonographersafterdark Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sonographersafterdark Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonographersafterdark/ #sonographersafterdark #iheartecho #allaboutultrasound #loveecho #loveultrasound #bettercardiology #echoquality #cardiacultrasound
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In this episode of Sonographers After Dark, Lara Williams dives into the real work behind accreditation, quality improvement, and leadership in the echo lab. While accreditation may be the framework, the true goal is building a culture of quality that improves patient care, strengthens reporting, and creates consistency across the lab.
Lara unpacks the common roadblocks teams face when implementing quality programs, from managing different personality types and navigating difficult conversations to gaining physician and administrative buy-in. She also breaks down the importance of structured reporting, IAC standards, ASE guidelines, timeliness requirements, discrepancy policies, and creating meaningful quality review systems that go beyond simply checking boxes. This episode is a practical discussion for sonographers, technical directors, ACS professionals, and lab leaders who want to better understand how to lead change, improve reporting accuracy, support staff growth, and build a quality program that is both sustainable and effective. Lara also shares insight into using objective scoring tools, peer review, and ongoing education to identify growth opportunities and strengthen lab performance over time. If you are stepping into leadership, preparing for accreditation, or trying to elevate quality in your lab, this episode is for you. 💜🩵 Watch the full episode here or listen on your favorite platform: Spotify, Apple Podcast, iHeartRadio YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SonographersAfterDark TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sonographersafterdark Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sonographersafterdark Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonographersafterdark/ #sonographersafterdark #iheartecho #allaboutultrasound #loveecho #loveultrasound #bettercardiology #echoquality #cardiacultrasound This episode of Sonographers After Dark was sponsored by the American Society for Echocardiography, with support from an unrestricted educational grant from Bristol Myers Squibb.
In this episode, Lara Williams sits down with Margaret Kurnides, ACS, RDCS, FASE, and Amy Dillenbeck, MS, ACS, RDCS, RCS, FASE to discuss the growing adoption of goal-directed Valsalva in echocardiography and why it is transforming how sonographers evaluate patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The conversation explores how the traditional Valsalva maneuver often varies between sonographers, leading to inconsistent results. By contrast, the goal-directed approach creates a standardized and reproducible maneuver that can reliably unmask latent LVOT obstruction, which may be present in up to one-third of HCM patients who show no obstruction at rest. Margaret and Amy share practical insights from implementing the technique in clinical labs, including setup tips, infection-control considerations, and strategies for gaining physician and administrative buy-in. They also discuss imaging challenges, differentiating LVOT signals from mitral regurgitation, and the importance of correlating Doppler findings with the broader physiologic picture. The discussion takes on new urgency in the era of myosin inhibitor therapies, where accurate echocardiographic measurements—particularly LVOT gradients and ejection fraction—are critical for diagnosis, treatment selection, and medication titration. The group emphasizes why sonographers must understand the physiology behind HCM, not just the imaging protocol. The episode closes with a look at upcoming ASE micro-lessons on goal-directed Valsalva. If you scan echo—or teach it—this is a conversation about technique, physiology, and the evolving role of the sonographer in modern HCM care. Watch the full episode here or listen on your favorite platform: Spotify, Apple Podcast, iHeartRadio YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SonographersAfterDark TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sonographersafterdark Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sonographersafterdark Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonographersafterdark/ #sonographersafterdark #iheartecho #allaboutultrasound #loveecho #loveultrasound #bettercardiology #echoquality #cardiacultrasound #hocm #hypertrophiccardiomyopathy #hcm #goaldirectedvalsalva It’s been almost a decade since Lara Williams and Judith Buckland, MBA, RDCS, FASE, last taught together (yes… the legendary “quack like a duck” kinetic learning moment is back). In this Sonographers After Dark episode, they reconnect to unpack how the ultrasound and echo world has transformed since 2016—through COVID-era shifts, remote education becoming the norm, and the rising demand to streamline the nonstop pressure on sonographers and physicians. Judith shares the real story behind her evolution from accreditation consulting to building process-driven quality systems—and why her biggest “aha” was that accreditation isn’t the destination… it’s the leverage that finally gets buy-in for standardization, peer review, and better outcomes. Together, they dig into the grind (and cost) of pursuing ACCME, the vision of bundling accreditation + QI + CME + credential requirements into one workflow, and the entrepreneur brain that keeps dreaming bigger. They also talk AI in echo (including vendor-agnostic automation, real-world “messy” data, and why this tech won’t replace sonographers—but can reduce burnout), plus what’s next: HOCM accreditation changes, goal-directed Valsalva, ICE/4D ICE advances, and the behind-the-scenes work of building platforms that make “better cardiology” possible.
Watch the full episode here or listen on your favorite platform: Spotify, Apple Podcast, iHeartRadio YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SonographersAfterDark TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sonographersafterdark Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sonographersafterdark Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonographersafterdark/ #sonographersafterdark #iheartecho #allaboutultrasound #loveecho #loveultrasound #bettercardiology #cardioserv #echoaccreditation #echoquality #cardiacultrasound #hocm #hypertrophiccardiomyopathy #hcm |
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