For any woman, a visit to a breast care center can be stressful and nerve-wracking. Whether for an annual exam or a specialized visit, it’s an appointment most don’t look forward to. However, caring, compassionate staff can make all the difference at these visits and provide a much more enjoyable experience for the patient.
Laurie Pilla is one Radiologic Technologist at the Northwest Indiana Breast Care Center who takes great pride in creating a comfortable experience for the women she serves.
“I like to make the patient feel comfortable and try to make them feel like everybody does this. You’ve got to get things checked out and take care of yourself,” said Pilla.
Pilla attended school at Indiana University Northwest and has been working with Methodist Hospitals for 26 years. Getting into the field was a surprise though, and was achieved through an unfortunate chain of events that would end up working out well in the end.
“I ended up going to a job training program, and I went through a test that helps you decide what category you’d be good at. I came out art-social, and this was one of the things in that category,” Pilla explained.
Even though it came as a surprise, she’s happy to be a part of the Northwest Indiana Breast Care Center. Now, she’s able to work with and help women at a stressful time in their lives.
“It’s important for women to take care of themselves and get their annual tests and hopefully head off the more serious diagnoses. I like talking to them and encouraging them to take care of themselves and to come every year,” said Pilla.
Pilla finds the most rewarding part of her job to be the relief she is able to provide to someone. Before and during an exam, women are usually very tense and stressed, but as they leave the facility, they’re often a different, much more relaxed person.
“I feel that when they’re done with their exam and relieved, a lot of times they say, ‘You made it a lot better, you were very pleasant.’ But it’s not just about the compliment. I just realize how important it is to have a mammogram and to check the signs for anything abnormal,” said Pilla.
Loving her place of work is key to Pilla, and while working with a wonderful group of women, she’s able to find inspiration all around her.
“I like the facility, I like the people I work with, and our boss is on top of it. This is her passion so she really encourages us to be the best we can be,” said Pilla.
Working in an environment where the patient is typically stressed can be very difficult, but for Pilla, that’s one of the most rewarding parts of the job. The Northwest Indiana Breast Care Center offers state-of-the-art mammography services to women, and is a place many are proud to work in.
For more information on the Northwest Indiana Breast Care Center, visit: http://www.methodisthospitals.org/clinical_services/breast-care-center/
