A love of airplanes – and a stint in the Air Force – ultimately led Kevin Spears to a career in radiology.
“I never really wanted to be a pilot, I just wanted to be around airplanes,” said Spears, director of radiology at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth. “The Air Force decided I should work in the healthcare field as a radiologic technologist. I was trained in X-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and leadership. I even got to spend a little time around military airplanes.”
The Air Force made the right decision, Spears said.
Brett Kirkham, vice president of professional services at the hospital, agrees.
“It has been such a privilege to work with Kevin,” Kirkham said. “He brings a wealth of leadership and radiology expertise to our organization. I’ve enjoyed hearing about his time in the Air Force and how he translates that experience to how he leads his team. I often recommend that new leaders partner with Kevin to learn the Texas Health way. We are very fortunate to have his strong leadership at Texas Health Southwest.”
Read more about Spears and how he helps his team soar while staying grounded:
What does a typical workday look like?
I have a plan for every workday and that plan usually changes by 8:30 a.m. I like to start my day by rounding with the staff at the patient care level, to find out how things are going and what they need to succeed in their roles for the day. After rounding, I attend our daily safety briefing to communicate any safety concerns for radiology services and radiology staff while listening to what other concerns may be occurring across the hospital that need to be communicated back to my staff. The rest of my workday is a mixed bag of human resources, finance, asset management and regulatory management activities, while remaining available and vigilant.
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
Some may not know I attended Navy and Air Force boot camps. In high school, I was in a Navy junior ROTC, where I spent one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer at Naval Air Station Dallas. I am also a coin collector. When my twin sons graduated high school, I had to find a hobby and decided collecting money couldn’t hurt. Seriously, I find it very interesting to collect old U.S. coins and wonder what each one’s story is. I have several coins from the early 1800s, and my favorites to collect are Morgan dollars, Flying Eagle cents, and Standing Liberty quarters.
What are some of the ways you provide excellent care, supporting Texas Health’s Culture of Excellence?
By supporting my team and making sure they have the resources and knowledge to provide safe and reliable care. Also, collaborating with others to do our best in making sure our processes are seamless and efficient for our consumers.
Has your department found ways, big or small, to improve efficiency? What are some of them?
We use digital radiography, which is the most efficient and highest-quality choice for our consumers. Our computed tomography (CT) scanners have low radiation dose protocols and high channel acquisition for better quality. We have an MRI scanner that is the highest strength available for routine patient care, resulting in highly detailed images. Our new ultrasound equipment has allowed us to improve our image quality for vascular studies, especially on larger or very sick patients. And our transport team recently adopted a new workflow that uses the Rover application in CareConnect One, improving communication between the technologist and the transporter.
How do you do your life’s best work at Texas Health?
By listening and building relationships – not just in radiology but across the entire organization, with a strong focus on the areas radiology supports.
Published August 2, 2022
