2022 Gold Shield Staff Recipient: Kitty Henricksen, RDMS, RDCS
After a career in corporate fitness and personal training, Kitty Henricksen wanted to pursue a more fulfilling career that allowed her to spend more time with her family. As a new mom, she developed an interest in sonography. She had a passion for helping people and loved babies, so sonography seemed the perfect fit.
Today, Henricksen has earned her certifications as a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer and a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer. She utilizes her love of babies as lead sonographer on the Maternal Fetal Medicine team, performing about eight to ten daily scans.
“My favorite part of my job is interacting with patients, getting to know them and providing continuous care throughout their pregnancy,” said Henricksen. “I am able to develop relationships with the patients and have the opportunity to be the window to their baby and share what they're seeing.”
Henricksen has worked in maternal-fetal medicine sonography for over ten years and shared that she is especially grateful for the opportunity UT Health San Antonio offers her to teach others. She enjoys being able to work with maternal-fetal medicine fellows and share her knowledge of sonography with them. Her position within the organization has also provided her the opportunity to participate in the “Our Moms” grant program to provide specialized ultrasound training to sonographers in rural communities.
Outside of work, Henricksen enjoys being outdoors with her family and dogs. She loves endurance activities like cycling, running and hiking. Her family enjoys trips to Crested Butte, Colorado, where they ski and take advantage of the trails to mountain bike and trail run.
When asked what she would do with a million dollars, Henricksen expressed her desire to travel more. She is specifically interested in exploring Europe.
In the future, Henricksen hopes to help expand her teaching of maternal-fetal medicine sonography and further develop the program. She hopes to continue learning her craft and how to serve our community better. “I'm grateful for the team here. Our faculty continues to grow and I’m excited about where we’re going and the potential for what we can do,” said Henricksen.