North Oaks School of Radiologic Technology Honors 45th Graduating Class

Graduates of the forty-fifth class of the North Oaks School of Radiologic Technology were encouraged to always show compassion for their patients during a ceremony July 7 in the E. Brent Dufreche Conference Center, located on the North Oaks Medical Center campus.

The nine graduates include: Rocky J. Brown Jr. and Brooke Amber Richardson, Maurepas; Trenton L. DeBautte and Brittany Palmer, Ponchatoula; Kristina R. Evans, Baton Rouge; Justin J. Grijalva, Slidell; Richard P. Hebert III, Covington; Angela E. Valenti, Hammond; and Molly Marie Willie, Mandeville.

“Compassion is a guaranteed expectation of your patients,” shared North Oaks Health System’s Education Director Nicole Barnum during the commencement address, while also encouraging sincerity.

“Know that small actions have a large impact,” Barnum emphasized. “They (patients) will remember how you made them feel.”

The ceremony marked the conclusion of a 2-year program with more than 2,000 clinical training hours for each graduate, according to Program Director Marsha J. Talbert.

Outstanding achievement awards were given to three of the graduates during the ceremony. The Academic Award was presented to Richardson for obtaining the highest overall scholastic average, and the Performance and Attitude Award for exceptional performance in the clinical setting was given to Grijalva. Dr. Rodney Taylor presented the Dannye Young Taylor Always Remembering Others Award in honor of his wife to Valenti in recognition of her outstanding patient care skills.

In addition, Brown, Evans, Grijalva, Hebert, Palmer, Richardson, Valenti and Willie were recognized as members of Lambda Nu, an honor society for the Radiologic and Imaging Sciences. To become a member of the society, a member must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average out of a possible 4.0.

North Oaks Health System Senior Vice President of Human Resources Jeff Jarreau presided over the 1-hour ceremony, and Talbert presented diplomas to the graduates.

Established in 1967, the North Oaks School of Radiologic Technology is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT). The School offers a comprehensive 24-month program that provides classroom and clinical instruction to prepare students for careers in the field of diagnostic imaging, which is used to diagnose and treat diseases and injuries. Upon graduation, students are eligible to take the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) National Certification examination and apply for Louisiana state licensure.

Applications for the 2016-18 class will be accepted through June 1, 2016. To request an application, call (985) 230-7805 or write to the Program Director, care of North Oaks School of Radiologic Technology, P.O. Box 2668, Hammond, Louisiana, 70404. Applications also may be downloaded here.