Iredell Health Honors Longtime Employees A Conversation with Kim Kilpatrick, Mammography Technician | Iredell Health System

Iredell Health System celebrated its 70th anniversary^Th Anniversary on May 1st. It is not just a celebration of the passing of time. It is a testament to the commitment and loyalty of the people who have made and continue to make everything possible: his employees.

Iredell Health System has a long history of caring for its community. What sets Iredell Health System apart is its deep connection to the community it serves. Many of our employees are not just medical professionals – they are our neighbors, friends and family members. In fact, Iredell Health System employs more than 70 people who have worked at Iredell Health System for over 30 years.

Kim Kilpatrick has worked in radiology at Iredell Health System for over 44 years, but her love for healthcare began before she graduated high school.

“In my high school health professions class, they took you around the hospital and gave you a tour of all the departments. I really loved radiology,” Kilpatrick explained.

After high school, Kilpatrick enrolled in the hospital’s radiology technician program.

“I was in the last graduating class of the X-ray school here in Iredell. Nancy Holton was my teacher. We did a lot of hands-on training in the hospital, but we also had a classroom in the building next door.”

Kilpatrick graduated in 1979.

“I worked at Wesley Long Hospital in Greensboro for a year, then a position opened up as a second shift X-ray technician at Iredell. Edie (Edith Payne) and I were the two technicians working the second shift. Since there was no third shift, we took turns when called upon. I even took a call as a student. I think when they found out they were calling us every night they had to hire a third shift. When I started there were only about six technicians on the team.”

Kilpatrick has seen dramatic changes over her years.

“When I started here, we did Xerox mammograms.”

Xerox mammography, introduced in 1971, involved sticking X-ray images onto an electrostatically charged metal plate. The loaded plate was dusted with blue powder to print a detailed image on paper. The procedure fell out of favor due to the chaotic process and radiation risks. Iredell eventually switched to films.

“We used to have to hang films. We had a dark room where we developed our images. We would keep them in large folders in a file room. At the Women’s Health Center we had a viewing room where we placed last year’s images next to this year’s images. Every afternoon we swapped them for the next day’s appointments. When everything went digital, the burden on staff was reduced,” she said.

Kilpatrick moved to Iredell Women’s Health Center in 2009, where she has remained since. Her current tasks include bone density measurements and mammography.

“We do a lot more mammograms now than we did when we first started. There was more education about it.”

Kilpatrick said there was only one reason she would leave her position at Iredell.

“We always had a great group to work with. It was a fun time. I’ve never thought about leaving…except when I retire.”