Meet Vanessa McElroy, sonographer educator at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women in Austin. With a passion for improving health care with data analysis and 25 years of living in the capital city, she’s part of a fast-growing team leading women’s care in the region.
What brought you to Texas Children’s?
I have been a sonographer for almost 15 years, working in women’s health and maternal-fetal medicine. I wanted to work for TCH after I heard about the Pavilion for Women coming to Austin. I was hired in August, and I am so excited to bring the latest in fetal surgical care to Austin.
How did you get into diagnostic imaging and fetal sonography?
I had a baby with a fatal birth defect, and that experience made me want to help other people going through life-changing events like this. I want to provide empathy and excellent care for those patients and hopefully make it a little easier for them, as others did for me.
What are you most excited about as we open North Austin Campus and build our women’s services offerings?
I am excited to work with our amazing fetal surgeons in a new facility with state-of-the-art equipment. You should see my new ultrasound machine, she’s a beauty! So often we have to make do with whatever equipment or materials are available and don’t actually have what we need to provide the best care for our patients. It is a great pleasure to work for an organization dedicated to giving their teams everything they need to succeed!
What makes Austin a great place to work and live?
I love Austin and have lived here since 1997, aside from my time at the University of Missouri. After college, I couldn’t wait to get back to Austin because I love the attitude here. It’s a wear-what-you-want, do-your-own-thing kind of town, which I love! The endless variety of things to do, food to eat, concerts to see and places to go makes it a wonderful place to live.
What does “Always Thinking Experience” mean to you?
I am always thinking about patient experience, because that’s what brought me to healthcare and ultrasonography in the first place. I still remember those healthcare workers who helped me in my hardest time, and it is so rewarding to be that person for others.
Our dedicated team at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women provides comprehensive care to women in every stage of life, from preconception to long after the birth of a child. With the opening of North Austin OB/GYN and Texas Children’s Hospital North Austin for inpatient care in February, the community can expect the same commitment to excellence, innovation and patient-centered care that we’re known for delivering in Houston.
Right Care, Right Place, Right People. Now ranked #1 in Texas and #3 in the nation, we’re bringing the best to Austin. Click here for countdown updates, resources and more on the Austin Expansion SharePoint.