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Mercy's Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences is celebrating a milestone with its first-ever diagnostic medical sonography graduates.
Six students graduated Saturday, Dec. 7 from the college’s new full-time diagnostic medical sonography (DMS) academic path. Five of those graduates will move on to care for patients at Mercy Hospital Southeast in Cape Girardeau, becoming a critical piece of the patient care team. The sixth graduate will join Saint Francis Medical Center, also in Cape Girardeau.
DMS health care professionals are trained to operate ultrasound equipment, which uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of a patient’s internal body structure. Sonography students typically complete the program 18 months after their general education requirements, totaling two years, start to finish, at the college.
“It’s a lot of hard work from everyone here at the college, developing this program, seeing the students’ success as they navigate and complete the program and then have them graduate,” said Dr. David Heflin, program director of the college’s diagnostic medical sonography program. “Students complete an enormous amount of clinical time so they can practice here [at the college] but also with real people. It takes an entire team, so the support from the college and Mercy Southeast has been incredible to witness. The clinical instructors, the hospital, the community, they all help our graduates.”
Two graduates, Audrey LeGrand and Amber Hadenfeldt, spoke about being the first group of sonography students.
“It was hard, but it was worth it. We were the ones to pave the way, so we are setting that bar for the next group,” LeGrand said.
Hadenfeldt added, “The college really prepared us for our clinicals, and we now feel more confident to move into our careers.”
DMS graduates from Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences included:
- Allyssa-Marie Garcia
- Amber Hadenfeldt
- Audrey LeGrand
- Natalie McMullin
- Kylee Rhyne
- Aubrey Rodriguez
Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences awarded 32 degrees at its fall commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 7, at LaCroix Church in Cape Girardeau. Eric Ammons, regional president for Mercy’s Southeast communities, served as the commencement speaker.
The college of nursing and health sciences conferred six Associate of Applied Science degrees in diagnostic medical sonography, 11 Associate of Applied Science degrees in nursing, and 15 certificates in practical nursing.
