Meet Holley Santos, medical radiation technologist, St. Mary’s Hospital

Holley Santos, a medical radiation technologist at St. Mary’s Hospital, a Covenant Health facility in Camrose, is not one to talk about herself very much. When asked about her work and her nomination for Covenant’s 2024 Mission Award for Respect, she would much rather talk about her stellar diagnostic imaging team, any members of which, she says, would have deserved the nomination.

“I’m feeling a lot of imposter syndrome,” says Holley of her nomination. “There are a lot of good people I work with who deserve this as well. It's certainly pretty special that I got singled out for this.”

Holley works in both the X-ray and computed tomography (CT) departments at St. Mary’s. Her work encompasses a variety of radiological imaging techniques, including X-ray, fluoroscopy, CT scanning, interventional radiography and operating room studies. Her job can be stressful, since it often involves emergency situations, and it also requires excellent people skills in working with a wide range of medical personnel as well as patients.

“You need to be able to handle things under pressure and think quickly on your feet,” says Holley. “It’s important to be confident and have good communication skills. Sometimes you need to come up with different ways to describe how to position the body to help a patient through a procedure. In these situations, people sometimes don't take directions very well or don't understand them, so coming up with different ways to communicate is important.”

It was Holley’s superb communication skills coupled with the compassion she shows her patients and nimbleness on her feet that led to her nomination for a Mission Award.

“I feel like I’m one of those people who can work with anybody,” she says.

“I try to include everybody and take different people’s views on board. I think I’m good at being a mediator whenever disagreements arise, which helps the team go into situations where we’re all focused on the best outcomes for the patient.”

An Ontario native, Holley moved to Camrose to begin her career at St. Mary’s in 2015, shortly after graduating from university and applying for positions across Canada. She describes the decision to join Covenant Health as a “leap of faith” since the role she was offered was only casual at first, although it quickly evolved into something full time. She says she immediately took to the close-knit rural community in Camrose that has been her home now for nearly a decade.

“In a place like this, you really get to know people on a deeper level,” she says of both the town and the hospital setting.

“Hardly a day goes by where I don't recognize somebody I'm working with, even if I'm going to different units and areas of the hospital. There's always somebody I know or recognize. You get to know people through events outside of work, and this really makes for a wonderful workplace environment. I feel deeply respected in what I do, and this comes from that sense of community.”

Holley also gives credit to Covenant Health, noting that she recommends it as an employer to people back in her home province.

“This organization seems to really care about its people,” she says. “I feel like our opinions are genuinely heard. Our team has a great manager, and I’m grateful to whoever hired her. And the higher-ups who come to our staff meetings always want to know what's been going on in our department. There’s genuine care there.”

Read more about Holley and be sure to watch the 2024 Mission Awards celebration on May 1 at 12 p.m.