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Alumnus Improves Care for Pediatric Imaging Patients

Ryan Pavlak, ’09, ’14, a ����ԭ�� at Salem graduate with both an associate and bachelor’s in radiologic technology, has spent the past nine years improving pediatric care at Akron Children’s Board Campus. As radiology supervisor, he oversees the X-ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound departments, ensuring every child gets quality, compassionate care.

At the age of 13, Ryan saw his first MRI machine, sparking a fascination that ultimately shaped his career choice. In high school, he realized radiology could be a field that combined his love of photography and science. “Being able to incorporate my love of photography into radiology just made sense. Instead of using light, we’re using X-ray to get our images.”

He pursued a degree through ����ԭ�� Salem because of its radiology program’s reputation. Through a combination of online courses and clinical work, Ryan was guided by mentors like Jan Gibson and Margie Carol. The flexibility of the courses allowed Ryan to continue working and paying for his education. More importantly, these experiences helped him grow professionally and build close friendships with classmates, some of whom are now his colleagues.

Always looking for ways to help patients, Ryan wanted to limit the frequency of sedation required with pediatric patients undergoing procedures like MRIs. To complete these scans properly, children need to remain calm and limit movement as much as possible. With very young patients, including toddlers, this was a consistent challenge. Sedation was often required in patients under the age of seven, and while it would result in a good scan, sedation lengthened the procedure timeline and could create negative side effects, including grogginess, irritability, nausea and more. 

Ryan led a project introducing video goggles to keep children calm during MRI scans. Before the procedure, children could select from a variety of DVDs.These goggles would then play that movie, allowing the child to become absorbed in that world while the scan was completed. It was a tremendous success, and Ryan was proud to see the sedation age lowered.

For Ryan, being a Golden Flash is more than a degree, it’s a community, a connection and a standard of care he brings to every patient. He’s proud to work alongside so many fellow Flashes, whether they are interns or full-time care providers. 

“There’s absolutely a bond when you meet other ����ԭ�� alumni at the workplace. Being a part of the Flash community, it sticks with you.”

You can learn more about Ryan and his role in the “Fueling Ohio’s Healthcare Workforce” article from the ����ԭ�� Magazine.