After graduating from Mentor High School in 2017, Ashley Bush, an Interventional Vascular Technologist (IVT) at Cleveland Clinic’s Main Campus, began her journey toward a healthcare career by attending nursing school. A few semesters in, she discovered something important: a career path doesn’t always follow a straight line, and her skills and interests were leading her in a different direction.

She had heard about Bright Horizons, a Cleveland Clinic tuition reimbursement program that supports employee career development across many departments – including non-nursing areas such as accounting, biology, information technology, pharmacy, psychology and radiology – and after looking into other options, she found a specialty that piqued her interest: radiology. “I thought the technology aspect was cool, and I was drawn to the ability to see bones and injuries in real time,” Ashley shares.

Before officially joining Cleveland Clinic in May of 2025, Ashley completed the 21-month Radiologic Technology Program offered through Cleveland Clinic. “The X-ray program gave me both my clinical training and the credits I needed to earn my associate degree from Lakeland Community College,” she says.

A Day on the Job

“Every day starts with a plan — talking with the surgeon, figuring out what equipment we’ll need, and making sure everything is ready before the patient arrives,” Ashley says. Most of the cases she assists with involve percutaneous access (small incisions guided by imaging rather than open surgery). While some procedures are diagnostic and focus on identifying blockages or abnormalities, others are therapeutic and designed to actively treat the problem by restoring blood flow or reinforcing weakened vessels.

“We assist the team by letting them know which devices and equipment are compatible, including wires, sheaths, catheters and fluoroscopy systems, since not all the components work together,” she says. “Sometimes, we’ll also scrub in if the nurses aren’t able to.”

Ashley’s surgery team includes the staff surgeon, an anesthesiologist, a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), two residents, two nurses and two X-ray technologists. “I really enjoy the collaboration between all the different departments. We work right alongside the nurses and the doctors and their residents,” Ashley says. “It’s fun to be a part of a big team with a lot of different things going on. We even get to meet with the reps that bring other devices that we don’t have on our shelves.”

Learning through Challenge

Procedures Ashley works on include blood clot removals, calcified vessels and aneurysms, using X-ray imaging. But the number one procedure she assists with is leg angioplasties. “Most of the patients who come in are suffering from low blood flow to the lower leg or foot, so we go in and open that up, helping to restore blood flow. We probably see at least 10 of those cases per week,” Ashley says.

She’s especially drawn to embolization cases, which involve coiling off vessels that are bleeding into an aneurysm in an effort to stop further damage. These cases are challenging, but she welcomes them as learning experiences. “I think every shift I work, there’s at least one thing I didn’t previously know. So much is always changing, and there’s always more to learn,” she says.

Strength in Teamwork

When Ashley talks about her fellow caregivers, it’s clear how much she values their expertise. “I’m surrounded by people who are always supportive and make me feel like part of the team. Whenever I ask a question — and they’re expecting me to ask questions (I’ve only been doing this for nine months) — everyone is happy to give me the answer I’m looking for.”

What It Takes

Ashley shares that strong communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to adapt quickly to any situation are qualities that a future IVT should possess. “Staying calm when things don’t go as planned is also an important quality to have in this position,” she says.

“It’s a great place to work if you want to learn and grow in this field. I’m sure I’ll get to a point where I feel knowledgeable about everything, even as it continues to change,” she says.