Connect

This is the latest installment in our  Connect article series Hope at Work — showcasing inspiring stories about how our team members contribute to UVA Health’s 10-year strategic plan: “One Future Together Health and Hope for All.”  No matter where you work, you have an opportunity to inspire hope in others. These stories show how. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

Angelia “Angie” Collins, RT(R)(M), is celebrating her 35^th anniversary working at UVA Health — 31 one of them as a mammography technologist for the Breast Care Center. Angie worked during her pregnancy in the 1990s. 

“Angie’s daughter was doing mammograms in the womb!” jokes team member Christina “Chrissy” Brodt, RT(R)(M), UVA Health Breast Care Cener, who first brought this story to Connect. 

And on Angie’s birthday — what a gift — baby Kelsie arrived! 

Impact Goes Both Ways 

Fast forward to 2013, and Kelsie Shifflett, RT(R)(M)(BS), decided to train in imaging. “Since I was in X-ray school, I always knew that if I ever decided to branch out into another modality of radiology, I would choose mammography,” explains Kelsie, who grew up listening to her mom’s stories about mammography and the difference that patients make in her life — and in turn, the difference that Angie has the opportunity to make in patients’ lives. 

“I’ve always found this to be astounding and discovered over the last three years that Mom always has been absolutely correct in telling those stories. The work we do and the opportunities we have each and every day to make a difference in patients' lives is incredible — as are the differences they make in ours!” 

Kelsie worked in diagnostic imaging for seven years — five of them as a diagnostic radiology technologist for UVA Health. In 2022, she joined Angie at the Breast Care Center team as a mammography technologist. 

History Repeats Itself 

Now, Kelsie is working at the Breast Care Center — while pregnant with her first child, Reese — just like her mother worked at the Breast Care Center while pregnant with Kelsie!

“So is there another mammographer in the making?” queries Chrissy. 

“Most of the techs here all joke about Reese being the next new mammographer in our family and here at the Breast Care Center!” says Kelsie.

Sense of Family — At Work and at Home 

“I am so proud of Kelsie and her accomplishments thus far in her breast care career,” beams Angie when asked what it means to her that Kelsie is following in her footsteps. “It’s an honor to know I’ve impacted her life in such a way that she chose to pursue this amazing career we share! To work side-by-side with her is truly one of the greatest blessings I could ask for. I’m thrilled to have her as a colleague!” 

Mother and daughter also love the sense of family shared among their Breast Care Center team. “We all work very well together to provide exemplary care for our patients every day,” they assert. “Creating a safe, caring, compassionate, and respectful environment for our patients and their families and loved ones is a top priority here, and we both believe our team does an exceptional job!” 

Saving Lives 

What does Breast Cancer Awareness Month mean to this mammographer duo? “Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women; however, when caught in its earliest, localized stages — the five-year, relative survival rate is 99%, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Early detection is key, and that's why having an annual screening mammogram, at the appropriate age, is so critical for women to make informed decisions about their health. The earlier any changes are detected, the better!” 

“Angie and Kelsie work side-by-side to care for our patients and do an incredible job,” sums up Chrissy. “They’ve saved many lives!”