Sonographers After Dark

🎙️ In this episode of Sonographers After Dark, Lara Williams sits down with Christina Fields, BS, ACS, RVT, RDCS, RDMS, FASE for a real, unfiltered conversation about the highs, the challenges, and everything in between in the world of sonography.
From stepping into leadership as a technical director to navigating accreditation, mentorship, and the evolving expectations of advanced practice, Tina shares what it truly takes to g...

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept in healthcare—it’s already reshaping what happens inside the ultrasound room.
In this episode of Sonographers After Dark, Lara talks with Caroline Christopher from Cycle Clarity - the conversation explores how AI is actively transforming fertility ultrasound, with a closer look at CycleClarity and its role in automated follicular monitoring. From reducing scan time and improv...

In this episode of Sonographers After Dark, host Lara Williams sits down with Douglas Richardson to explore the journey from clinical sonographer to healthcare leader.
Doug shares how he progressed from an uncertain start in college to leading accreditation efforts across multiple hospitals and stepping into a system-level strategy role. His experience highlights the realities of growth in healthcare—where clinical expertise mus...

What does it really mean to be an advanced practice sonographer—and where is the profession heading next?
In this episode of Sonographers After Dark, we explore the evolving role of the sonographer beyond traditional scanning. From clinical expertise and pre-read responsibilities to remote work opportunities and expanded influence in patient care, this conversation dives into how sonographers are stepping into more advanced, hig...

In this episode of Sonographers After Dark, Lara sits down with Carlton Hartwell, ACS, RDCS, FASE and they dive into the evolving role of the Advanced Cardiac Sonographer (ACS) and what it truly means to move beyond scanning into leadership, education, and quality-driven practice.

While the ACS credential has been around for years, many healthcare organizations are still trying to define how to fully utilize these highly trained...

In this episode of Sonographers After Dark, Lara Williams dives into the real work behind accreditation, quality improvement, and leadership in the echo lab. While accreditation may be the framework, the true goal is building a culture of quality that improves patient care, strengthens reporting, and creates consistency across the lab.
Lara unpacks the common roadblocks teams face when implementing quality programs, from managin...

This episode of Sonographers After Dark was sponsored by the American Society for Echocardiography, with support from an unrestricted educational grant from Bristol Myers Squibb. 
In this episode, Lara Williams sits down with Margaret Kurnides, ACS, RDCS, FASE, and Amy Dillenbeck, MS, ACS, RDCS, RCS, FASE to discuss the growing adoption of goal-directed Valsalva in echocardiography and why it is transforming how sonographers eva...

It’s been almost a decade since Lara Williams and Judith Buckland, MBA, RDCS, FASE, last taught together (yes… the legendary “quack like a duck” kinetic learning moment is back). In this Sonographers After Dark episode, they reconnect to unpack how the ultrasound and echo world has transformed since 2016—through COVID-era shifts, remote education becoming the norm, and the rising demand to streamline the nonstop pressure on sonogra...

In this powerful episode of Sonographers After Dark, Lara sits down with Joy Guthrie, PhD., ACS, RDMS, RDCS, RVT, FSDMS, FASE, to discuss the evolution of advanced practice sonography and what it truly means to elevate our profession.
Joy shares the story behind launching one of the first Advanced Cardiac Sonography programs in 2016—and how it expanded to include Advanced Perinatal Ultrasound and Advanced Vascular tracks. Design...

In this episode of Sonographers After Dark, Lara sits down with Dr. Judy Hung (Mass General Hospital, Boston) for a candid, sonographer-focused conversation on valvular heart disease—and why high-quality echocardiography drives real clinical decisions in today’s structural heart era. Dr. Hung shares what drew her to valve disease through the lens of physiology and hemodynamics, and why echo is the frontline tool for determining whe...

What really goes into building an echocardiography training program from scratch?

In this episode of Sonographers After Dark, Lara sits down with Daniel Bourque for an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation about launching and sustaining a hospital-based echocardiography program at Orlando Health.
Daniel shares the five-year journey of developing an employer-backed echo program—from navigating state licensing, board reviews, ...

In this episode of Sonographers After Dark, Lara Williams sits down with Kelly Thorson, DHSc, MSRS, MS, ACS, RDCS, FASE, to talk about what it takes to build—and sustain—excellence in pediatric and fetal echocardiography.Kelly shares practical insight on recruiting and training pediatric echo sonographers, why mentorship and lifelong learning matter, and how sonographers can grow into research, education, and leadership pathways. T...

In this episode of Sonographers After Dark, Lara sits down with Dr. Anita Moon‑Grady, pediatric cardiologist at UCSF, for a deep dive into the evolving world of fetal echocardiography training and career development. Dr. Moon-Grady shares how fetal echo sonographers are trained within her program, and how additional fetal expertise is built through mentored learning, progressive responsibility, and certification.
Together, Lara ...

Travel sonography sounds glamorous—but what’s it actually like? Lara and Lydia keep it real as they talk through the highs, lows, and logistics of life as a travel ultrasound professional.

Lydia shares how she made the leap after hospital experience, why flexibility and new environments fueled her growth, and what surprised her most along the way. They dive into negotiating pay and schedules, understanding tax homes, extending contr...

What does it really take to build a hospital-based echocardiography program from scratch—inside one of the busiest labs in the country?

In this episode, Lara Williams is joined by Amy Dillenbeck, who leads the echo training program at Cleveland Clinic, for a candid, behind-the-scenes conversation about launching a sonography school after COVID-era staffing challenges pushed facilities to think differently.

Amy walks through the early...

In this episode of Sonographers After Dark, Lara sits down with Lauren Castro, ACS, RDCS, to talk about one of the biggest career transitions in our field—moving from clinical sonography into the ultrasound industry.
After nearly a decade in hospital echo labs, Lauren felt pulled toward a different kind of challenge: more travel, more teaching, and a new professional mindset. Today she works as a clinical specialist supporting u...

In this episode of Sonographers After Dark, Lara sits down with Debbie Dulin—educator, sonographer, and host of It’s All About the Frequency—for an unfiltered conversation about growth, mentorship, self-care, and the realities of life in the ultrasound profession.Debbie shares updates about her newest educational project launching at theultrasoundinstitute.org, and the two discuss how teaching, leadership, and community elevate the...

In this special Thanksgiving episode of Sonographers After Dark, Lara sits down to reflect on gratitude, growth, and grace in the face of personal and professional challenges. She shares her journey from hardship and health struggles to becoming a leader, mentor, and advocate for sonographers everywhere.
Lara opens up about the losses she’s endured, the resilience it took to continue showing up for patients, and the internal wor...

In this episode, Lara and Lisa dive into the realities of navigating career transitions within the medical imaging world — from shifting roles to redefining what a sustainable, fulfilling path looks like as a sonographer. They talk openly about balancing demanding schedules, managing burnout, and finding your footing when your professional identity begins to evolve. The conversation also explores the newest advancements in ultrasou...