Testimonials

Read why employees enjoy working within the Neurodiagnostics (EEG and EMU) Department at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

• Neurodiagnostic Technologists
• Student Neurodiagnostic Technologists
• Epilepsy Center Nurses

Neurodiagnostic Technologists

Patricia Lordeon, Supervisor, Neurodiagnostics – 31 years experience

• “I really enjoy working within this group. Our team is a group of clinicians who are self motivated, driven to learn, and who impact the lives of children every day. We are a fun, down-to-earth group who love kids and enjoy helping children.”
• “I like the opportunity to work behind the scenes to make good things happen.”
• “I really don’t need to ‘sell’ this job. This is simply a great opportunity for healthcare professionals to learn a trade as a student tech, or grow their career.”
• “I admire (our Director’s) diplomacy and tact and the fact that she does not prejudge any situation. She always maintains a level head and gives us her time even though she is very busy.”

Jonell Taylor, Neurodiagnostic Technologist III – 13 years experience

• “I really like the kids. In fact I prefer working with kids more so than the adults which I had in the past.”
• “We are a family here. I truly like everyone that I work with.”
• “This is a very interesting field. There are so many different seizure events and so many ways to help these kids.”
• “I think that the WADA tests are some of the more interesting procedures that we do here.”

Donna Brehm, Neurodiagnostic Technologist (traveler) – 3 years experience at Children’s, 24 years overall

• “I continue to work here because I love these kids.” “You also see cases here that you don’t see at any other hospitals.”
• “Everyone is so welcoming here. It’s like a family here, more than any other place where I’ve worked.”
• “(Our supervisor) works really well with my unique schedule and traveler employee requirements.”
• “This group also works really well with the nurses and the doctors are very responsive to our needs.”
• “The technology here allows doctors to respond to events and/or general health concerns of our patients even when they are at home and with urgency.”

Tracy Sheffey, Neurodiagnostic Technologist – 2 years experience

• “I came here because I felt like there were opportunities to grow my career.”
• “There is always something new to learn and see. This is a very different career.”
• “One of the most interesting procedures is the mapping of the brain using grids during OR procedures.”
• “(Our supervisor’s) door is always open. She is always open to communication.”

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Student Neurodiagnostic Technologists

Amanda Caruso, student Neurodiagnostic Technologist

• “I was very interested in learning about this career path. It was an opportunity to lean on the job and begin an new and exciting career.”
• “I like spending time with the kids and teaching them the diagnostic process.”
• “The environment is great and our kids are great. It’s very exciting and there are so many things to learn.”
• “As we work with (our supervisor), she does a great job training and explaining everything to us.”
• “This field is very interesting, such as learning how to induce events and then understanding the process of what to do.”

Kathy Carrozza, student Neurodiagnostic Technologist

• “I wanted to work for Children’s Hospital to have the opportunity to work with children and their families.”
• “I mostly enjoy dealing with the patients and families all day and meeting new people.”
• “I always like learning new things, and gaining training and skills at a job where there is a huge need and being successful at it.”
• “Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is one of the best hospitals to work for in the country.”
• “(Our supervisors) are fabulous teachers. They adapt to the learning style of the student and give you the independence you need to learn.”
• “Possessing the knowledge to investigate the differences in seizure presentation, the variety of cases, and the opportunity to be a part of surgeries involving the brain are all reasons why I enjoy working in this department.”

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Epilepsy Center Nurses

Geraldine “Gerri” VonHofen, Supervisor Patient Services Epilepsy – 25 years experience

• “I mostly like working with our staff; teaching and helping folks to learn. I also really enjoy the patient and family interaction every day.”
• “We have a small, close knit group who are very supportive of each other. You have the opportunity to have more bedside exposure here.”
• “Many have the misunderstanding that we only operate as a clinic. We offer a full array of services including not only Video EEG, but also pre- and post-epilepsy surgery care and neurology cases.”
• “(Our Director) is very involved in our unit. She’s available and has a solid presence here. All of my staff members are comfortable reaching out to her.”
• “We use a great deal of technology unique to our unit, including the SPECT Injectors and Video EEG.”

Deborah Capets, Professional Staff Nurse – 9 years experience

• “We do procedures here that we don’t do anywhere else in the hospital.”
• “Brain mapping procedures and surgical grids are just some of the interested processes that we see here.”
• “I really enjoy the hospital and the kids. They make me want to come to work each day.”
• “Our doctors are very passionate about our kids. Our team work is fantastic.”

Nina Dore’, BSN, Professional Staff Nurse, – 5 years experience

• “When I moved here, I knew I wanted to continue to work with kids every day.”
• “I really like the people I work with and our patient population.”
• “The overall environment is great. Our team is very friendly and there are opportunities to grow.”
• “(Our supervisor) works well with the staff. She is very approachable and I like her a lot.”

Lisa Kolodziejski, Professional Staff Nurse – 4 years experience

• “I knew I wanted to work in pediatrics and I wanted to bring my knowledge of Autism into my field.”
• “Teamwork is our strongest quality that sticks out to me. Everyone is there and on task in critical times.”
• “We have a solid group here to solve problems and to make positive changes.”
• “(Our supervisor) is a strong advocate for us and is very approachable. Her door is always open.”

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