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Local Woman Reaches 50 Year Milestone At Porter Hospital

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Friday May 27, 2016

By Cookie Steponaitis

Joan Guertin is a woman who likes to be busy. She slid into the booth at Rosie’s Restaurant for the interview with a bright smile, a firm handshake and an agenda that included still many more activities.  An avid Cribbage player, golfer and Bingo player, Joan loves to meet and interact with people not only for fun, but in her career as an X-Ray Technologist too.
    Originally planning to be a teacher, fate intervened when Joan’s mom broke her foot and in helping to take care of her, Joan decided she had not only an interest in the healing, but the bones as well. In 1962 she attended St. Francis X-Ray School of Technology in Hartford, Connecticut and graduated in 1964. Moving to the Champlain Valley in 1965 and marrying her high school sweetheart Bob, Joan joined Porter Hospital on November 1, 1965 as one of two people in the X-Ray Department. “We did all hand developing of the x-rays,” stated Joan. “The radiologist came down from Burlington three times a week and we typed up all of the reports on typewriters. For a period of about six months, I was the only X-ray technician and I worked some incredible hours.”
    As technology changed and new machines, applications and procedures arrived, some parts of Joan’s career stayed remarkably the same. Each day she went to work with a smile on her face and a commitment to help other people. Whether it was the middle of the night and an emergency call or the thousand mammograms each year she has performed, Joan feels that each person is deserving of time, attention and conversation. “Some people are very nervous,” shared Joan Guertin.  “Talking with them can ease their mind or make them feel more comfortable about asking questions.”
    Living six miles from Porter Hospital, Guertin has never felt it was a chore to go to work and spoke with pride about how working at a smaller hospital gives a person the remarkable chance to learn so much. Whether it is talking to patients, doctors, nurses or other professionals, the chance to learn and have each day is meaningful and productive is enhanced by the connections made.
    Just this past week Joan was honored with a fifty year pin marking a half a century of continued service and commitment. With no, repeat no plans of retiring, Joan shared that she feels lucky to be in the career fate started her on so long ago and to be a part of the lives of so many people. “Some hug me at the end of the test,” shared Joan “and they thank me for being nice to them and caring. It is not a chore to be nice to people and most are nice in return.” Joan Guertin is also thankful for being a loving mom to three wonderful sons and takes a great deal of joy in being a part of their lives.
    The Valley Voice salutes Joan Guertin for her caring, professionalism and her continuing dedication to the people of the Champlain Valley and her plans to keep right on being in the same spot at Porter hospital greeting each person coming for an X-ray with her smile, her caring and her professional manner. It is truly people like Joan Guertin that make the Champlain Valley a special place to live.

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