Get to Know a BHC Staff

Bailey McMillen, RDCS (AE), RVT, RDMS (AB,OB/GYN)

Cardiovascular Sonography

I’m from Center, Mo., a small town of about 500 people located about 20 miles southwest of Hannibal. I graduated from the University of Missouri—Columbia in 2020 with a Bachelor of Health Science in Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences with an emphasis in Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound. I obtained my ultrasound credentials through the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) in Abdomen, OB/ GYN, Vascular Technology, and Adult Echocardiography. I grew up working in my grandparents’ meat locker. I followed my mother into the healthcare field – she practices as a speech language pathologist in northeast Missouri. I recently married my wife Kristina on October 12, 2024. She is a 5th grade math teacher at Southern Boone Middle School in Ashland where she also coaches cross country and track.

Why did you get into the health care field?

A combination of youth sports, high school sports, and a significant cardiovascular family history led me to discover my love for healthcare. I had multiple sports injuries including labrum and ACL/meniscus injuries that required diagnostic imaging to determine appropriate action for intervention and recovery. As the patient, I fell in love with the imaging world.

What interested you in your particular specialty?

I job shadowed all of the imaging modalities, and ultrasound spoke to me the most. As I researched different types of ultrasounds, I also learned more about cardiovascular disease within my family tree. My interest in cardiovascular ultrasound peaked when I realized I could turn ultrasound and cardiovascular health into a career.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

The relationships we build with patients. Often, we work with patients who need cardiovascular intervention, and we continue to follow them for quite some time. Seeing these patients at their worst, then seeing them again on their road to recovery is amazing, especially when I have performed a patient’s prior imaging and they remember me. There is no greater reward than watching a patient return to living their life to their greatest potential, knowing that we helped them get there.

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

Most people don’t know how physically and mentally challenging ultrasound is. The cardiovascular system is like a puzzle, and each patient provides a different puzzle to solve. As sonographers we must clear our minds before every patient and put everything else to the side to piece the puzzle together and provide patients with appropriate and high-quality care.

What has changed in your field since you started practicing?

I have been practicing ultrasound just shy of 5 years. I would not say there have been any drastic changes in the field since; however, I have noticed improvements in technology including our machines and probes. We have started to see AI integration in sonography technology to help with examination efficiency.

What do you see changing in the next 5 to 10 years?

I expect ultrasound to still be the gold standard in many practices. I also expect to see more AI incorporation into machines and probes, and I expect to see 3D/4D imaging become more prevalent. 3D/4D imaging has already made vast improvements over the last several years, but I expect to really see it take off in the next 5 to 10 years. I also expect to see point of care ultrasound become more common than it is now.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. My favorite hobby is playing slow-pitch softball with my wife and our friends. I run a coed slow-pitch team and play on a men’s slow pitch team. I have made a lot of memories traveling the country to play slowpitch and love meeting people who love the game as much as I do. I enjoy hunting and lending a hand at our family meat locker during deer season. I also enjoy beer and bourbon tasting with my wife.

What advice would you give someone looking to become a cardiovascular sonographer?

Be willing to learn, be humble, and wear a good pair of shoes. There will be long days of standing between exams and procedures. If you take care of your feet, then your feet will take care of you. Always be open to new ways of doing things. You never know who you might learn something new from.