ChristianaCare Vice President of Imaging Kim Evans, MS, FABC, CRA, entered the field of medical imaging with a desire to help others. She had patients in mind as she began her career and still does. Today, as an imaging leader, she also enjoys being able to help those she works with as well as colleagues throughout the nation.
“I started as a radiologic technologist because I wanted to work with others, but also care for and help people. I was especially intrigued and attracted to the physics of imaging in combination with the opportunity to provide direct patient care. I soon transitioned into education in radiologic technology and then eventually joined the administration team within our imaging department,” Evans said.
She credits continuing education as one reason for her ability to grow and advance in the imaging field. Evans said she still enjoys the ability to help patients.
“I was fortunate to continue my education during my career and that has prepared me well for each of my expanding roles. The imaging field has so much more to offer than I envisioned when I first began my career. I also love the impact our field has in that we touch almost every patient in some way,” she said. “While the technology has certainly evolved, I still find fulfillment in the interactions with both my fellow employees – whom we at ChristianaCare refer to as ‘caregivers’ – and also our patients.”
When asked about her greatest accomplishment Evans shares a two-part answer that illustrates the importance of work-life balance.
“From a personal perspective, family is my greatest accomplishment and treasure: my husband who is my life partner of 36 years and best friend, my sons and their families now with my two grandchildren. Now that my children are parents, I reflect with gratitude that I had the privilege of contributing to them becoming good people,” Evans said. “Professionally, my greatest accomplishment is to have had the opportunity to work hard and make a difference in the lives of others. That includes coworkers, patients, teams and industry colleagues. It is highly rewarding. Imaging has propelled me to learn more, to seek to understand more, and then to work hard to operationalize those concepts. Through my experiences and leadership – and while I still have much to learn – I hope to instill the same curiosity and thirst for knowledge in others.”
As a lifelong learner, Evans enjoys the difficult opportunities that may cause headaches while also pushing her to grow as an individual.
“I love the challenge of my current job and every role I have had over my career. Every day I learn something new and my personal performance expectations elevate. I love working alongside colleagues across our organization and industry who share a common vision,” Evans explained. “I still love to care for people and make a difference and in my organization, we serve together guided by our values of excellence and love. I feel that is the opportunity I have every day – to do what I need to do. Do it well and love and care for those I serve.”
As someone who has risen through the ranks of medical imaging, Evans places importance on being accessible to everyone she works with and being a mentor.
“First, I want to be a leader who is approachable and willing to listen. I strive to listen actively and seek to understand in order to help my team,” she explained. “I also want to be a proven leader who is willing to work hard and commit to being exceptional today and even better tomorrow. These are a few of the values and behaviors in my organization that keep motivating me to lead with courage and empathy. Again, through the COVID-19 pandemic, I grew in my leadership especially in telling the truth with courage and also in being decisive. As things changed frequently and we assumed good intentions, I needed to remain open and humble enough to acknowledge change and be supportive of the caregivers affected.”
She added that mentors have empowered her a great deal and she enjoys paying it forward to the next generation of imaging leaders.
“I am very fortunate to know and to have known many strong women in leadership who have inspired me and urged me to grow throughout my career. I learned the most over time from my former colleague Stephanie Cooper and would absolutely call her my mentor. I followed her each step in my career learning business basics, finance and business development along with many new facets of imaging,” Evans said. “Stephanie retired almost two years ago and while our leadership styles were different, it felt strange not having her present to discuss ideas and problems. That led me to become more decisive and to trust my own abilities. She taught me to do my research and thoroughly understand the field.”
“I needed to become the imaging resource and needed to be able to speak with confidence and to be prepared to help others understand the field,” she added. “To this day, that advice has served me well. As for mentoring others, I have a team of leaders whom I hope find me helpful and inspirational in equipping them for each of their own leadership journeys.”
Evans said she continues to learn every day and is thankful for the many opportunities that allow her to interact with individuals who present unique opportunities to gather knowledge about a wide range of topics from various perspectives.
“I learn so much through others. I serve as a Radiology Administration Certification Commissioner, a member of the Innovation in Imaging Council with the Association for Medical Imaging Management, and a Diagnostic Imaging Council member with our group purchasing organization. Each group of people I have the privilege of serving alongside with provides me with new knowledge and perspective that I might otherwise have missed. There is much to say about effective networking,” she said.
