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Liz Senter

Learn about Liz's remarkable experience with St. Mark's and how it shaped her successful career.

March 31, 2022
Liz Zenter smiling, wearing a  red turtleneck under her dark blue radiology uniform, in front of a Genius 3D mammography exam machine.

My first (and last) job: Celebrating a lengthy St. Mark’s Hospital career

As a student in St. Mark’s Hospital Radiologic Technology School in 1976, Liz Zenter and her eight classmates spent the mornings on the hospital floors gaining clinical experience and the afternoons in the classroom gaining technical knowledge.

“We spent so much time together during those school days that we became a close-knit group,” Liz said. “We really cared about each other. That’s why it was hard on all of us when Kurt got hurt.”

Kurt Hanks, a fellow classmate, suffered from a serious motorcycle crash just days before their slated graduation. He broke his leg and several ribs and endured other injuries.

“I don’t remember where graduation was intended to be, but at the last minute it was changed to a large conference room on the ground floor of St. Mark’s Hospital. We were all getting ready for the big moment when a team wheeled Kurt’s hospital bed into the middle of the room. That was a great surprise,” Liz said.

Prioritizing people: a St. Mark’s Hospital trademark

The graduation memory became a defining moment in Liz’s career, as it taught her and her entire class the importance of prioritizing people – a St. Mark’s Hospital trademark.

“Hospital-wide, the people of St. Mark’s care. They care about each other and about each patient. There’s a lot of caring! If a coworker has a sick child, we all put in our prayers and hopes for them to get well. There’s a special feeling amongst the hospital, and it feels good,” Liz said.

First (and last) job: The St. Mark’s career choice

Directly after graduating from St. Mark’s Hospital Radiologic Technology School, Liz began her career at St. Mark’s Hospital on the mammography team, though back then it was called xerography.

“It was so different 25 years ago! We didn’t have dedicated machines for mammography and we didn’t use film. Instead, we used paper that developed in a xerox machine. The ink was blue, detailed and beautiful; but the problem was, it took a lot of radiation,” Liz said.

Liz served in xerography at St. Mark’s for two years before taking a 25-year break to raise her four children. Thankfully, after continued education training and fresh certification, Liz found a return to mammography at St. Mark’s not just possible but pleasant.

“I love St. Mark’s and I love my patients. In fact, I treat each patient like they’re my favorite patient. I think that’s the St. Mark’s way,” Liz said.

Although the hospital’s technology and equipment greatly advanced over the years, Liz found that two important aspects remained the same.

“One thing that didn’t change was the positioning of patients, so I do that well … Another thing was the sense of community. People are always checking in on each other. You hear laughing and see people smiling because we’re happy and we like it there,” Liz said.

Liz has served as a cheerful PRN mammography tech since 2008, and she plans to retire later this year – making St. Mark’s Hospital the first and last place of her career.

Published:
March 31, 2022
Location:
St. Mark's Hospital