The Ten-Minute Interview:Kenneth A. Gorski, RN, RCIS, FSICPCleveland, Ohio

Why did you choose to work in the invasive cardiology field? I sort of stumbled into the field. My wife (then fiance) Cathy worked part-time for the Dean of Arts and Sciences at Schoolcraft Community College in Livonia, Michigan. They had just started a brand new program, Cardiovascular Technology. Cathy gave me some information on the program, and I was accepted the following year. I began my career as a Cardiovascular Technician in the Cardiopulmonary Department at the now-closed Westland Medical Center in Michigan, performing ECGs, Holters, stress tests, EEGs, ABGs, and assisting with an occasional cath. My first cath lab position was at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (Go Blue!). There, I had the opportunity to work with, and learn from, a number of prominent cardiologists. After five years at U of M, the cath lab medical director, Dr. Eric Topol, accepted the position as the Chairman of Cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Topol was kind enough to give me the opportunity to advance my career at the Cleveland Clinic, where I have been the past eleven years. What I really enjoy is being at a facility that is at the forefront of advances in cardiovascular medicine. There is so much history at the Cleveland Clinic, being the birthplace of coronary angiography with Mason Sones. Ironically, when I look back at my college transcripts, the cardiac catheterization course was one of my worst academically. What is the most bizarre case you have ever been involved in? I have seen a lot of oddities over the years (patients and procedures). Probably the most unusual case happened years ago when I was on call, and we were brought in for a transplant evaluation. We cathed a 30-odd year old MVA patient, clinically brain dead, to check out the heart as a possible donor organ. It was about 2:00 am, and the team was annoyed. However, we all understood afterwards when the donor was transferred to the OR immediately post-cath, and the heart was harvested for immediate transplantation. Where do you see yourself professionally when it is time to retire? Difficult question. My career is in interventional cardiology, and I most enjoy education. I am not sure what path my future will take. I could be working at the Cleveland Clinic, with a company as a clinical specialist or education consultant, or I could be teaching full-time. A few physicians and nurses from my church take annual medical relief mission trips. Sometime in the future, I would be interested in joining one of their efforts. Or, if God and time are kind, maybe I could be the next Sean Connery. But, unfortunately, that is relatively doubtful. Why did you choose to get involved with the SICP? I attended one of the first SICP Steering Committee meetings in San Antonio, Texas, in 1993. Back then, I could not devote as much time as I wanted, so my active participation waned. A few years ago, Tracy Simpson contacted me to help with the CVT Licensure efforts in Ohio. Since then, I have served as one of the SICP Editors. Can you describe your role with the SICP? I am inheriting the role of chairing the Professional Standards Committee from the President-elect, Tracy Simpson. My main task will be to review the current standards document from SICP and compare it to similar documents from other Allied Health professional organizations. I will put together a handful of volunteers of varied backgrounds to review and assist in revising and updating. Your work for the SICP is volunteer. What motivates you to continue? I have a real passion for interventional cardiology, as well as the SICP. The SICP is an inclusive, not exclusive, organization made up of cath lab professionals with all sorts of backgrounds. Working with such a grand scope of credentials also motivates me because I like the team effort and we all bring something to the table to share with each other, allowing us to grow together. I have a favorite quote that I include as part of the orientation book of materials I give to our new cath lab employees at the Cleveland Clinic: There is but one worthy ambition for us all. Do better whatever we do. No matter how capable, we must work, think, study, and do better. This alone leads to mastery, leadership, and independence. Gutzon Borglum, artist and sculptor, Mt. Rushmore. What is the biggest challenge you see regarding your role with the SICP? Getting the word out about the SICP and getting more recognition for the RCIS credential as a unified credential for all cath lab backgrounds. If you could send a message back to yourself at the beginning of your cath lab career, what advice would you give? Never be afraid to ask questions. If you do not understand, ask someone who does. If they are unable (or unwilling) to answer your question, find someone who can. Never be intimidated by someone with higher credentials or look down on someone without credentials. Everyone with experience in the field is someone you can potentially learn from, whether they are nurses, technicians, physicians, company reps, secretaries, or administrators. Are there any texts you would recommend to other labs? There are a few texts that I would whole-heartedly recommend: Invasive Cardiology A Manual for Cath Lab Personnel (Sandy Watson, Physicians Press), Principles and Practice of Interventional Cardiology (Sue Apple, Lippincott), The Manual of Interventional Cardiology (Safian and Freed, Physicians Press). I would also recommend Wes Todd’s CV Review CD-rom and registry review texts (www.westodd@earthlink.net). What changes do you think will occur in the field of cardiology in the coming decades? Drug-coated stents are going to be the next great revolution in endovascular interventions. Gene therapy and angiogenesis are also exciting frontiers being explored. The catheterization laboratory will phase out fluoroscopy as MRI and CT technologies are improved and adapted for therapeutic procedures.

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