Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital clinical lead sonographer achieves fellow status

Alicia Wright, clinical lead sonographer for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s Division of Cardiology, has been named a fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography.

Wright achieved the prestigious designation through her commitment to education, service and research in the cardiovascular ultrasound field.

Echo practitioners of all specialty types who demonstrate proficiency and dedication to the field of cardiovascular ultrasound are eligible to apply for FASE. The FASE credential recognizes dedicated American Society of Echocardiography members with an extraordinary commitment to the field of cardiovascular ultrasound. The designation is a peer-review process.

In her role at RWJUH, Wright leads staff education for all fellows and new hires.

“Alicia has a passion for educating aspiring professionals in her field to ensure that patients receive the highest quality care,” said Dr. Partho Sengupta, Henry Rutgers Professor of Cardiology and chief of the Division of Cardiology at RWJUH and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “She also is dedicated to sharing her knowledge and best practices with others beyond our campus to advance the technique and quality of cardiac imaging. We are extremely proud of her achievement and we are fortunate to have her on our team.”

A member of the American Society of Echocardiography since 2017, Wright began to seriously consider applying for the FASE designation after she co-authored a book with Dr. Daniel Shindler, “Practical Echocardiography for Cardiac Sonographers.”

“It was during the first wave of COVID and my department was going through a lot of transition,” Wright recalled. “I was thinking about my direction professionally when Dr. Shindler approached me. He said, ‘I’m going to write a book and I need help.’”

After co-authoring the book and reflecting on her past professional educational activities, Wright felt she could achieve FASE status. She is proud of this accomplishment and her role educating echocardiography professionals in her field.

“I have seen so much during my 17 years here, and I am loyal to RWJUH,” Wright said. “This hospital has so much potential, and I saw myself as a person who can help us get where we need to be. It’s a great place to work and with the leadership we have now, I am excited about the future here.”

During 2022, ASE has welcomed 62 new FASE. These members have exemplified excellence through education, research, leadership and volunteerism. They are ambassadors for ASE and recognized experts in their field. ASE is the largest global organization for cardiovascular ultrasound imaging serving physicians, sonographers, nurses, veterinarians and scientists, and as such is the leader and advocate, setting practice standards and guidelines for the field.