People of KHSC: Ralph Yeung

Every shift Ralph Yeung is searching, in hopes of finding answers for Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) patients.

He’s a medical radiation technologist (MRT) with the Interventional Radiology team, which diagnoses and treats patients using minimally invasive image-guided procedures.

“Being a MRT means you are in a position to provide clarity, reassurance, sometimes hope,” says Yeung.

“Our results are tangible. We're using that imaging to intervene and we often see patients improve right away because of that intervention.”

Every day is different which keeps Yeung on his toes, but he’s the first to admit the role can be stressful, especially when the clock is ticking.

Like when caring for a stroke patient. Yeung may get asked to scrub in for a procedure called endovascular thrombectomy. 

“By physically retrieving the blood clot in the brain under imaging guidance and being able to immediately assess the vasculature angiographically, we can provide a clear picture of the location and extent of a stroke before and after our intervention.

“Because of the fast pace of these cases where time is brain, we see our interventional radiologists, technologists and nurses really shine, and to be part of such a skilled team inspires me to be better at what I do.”

The MRT is not only proud of the care he provides, but also appreciative of his colleagues.

“I'm grateful for a supportive team and leadership. When you work in a small team under intense pressure, you get to really ‘see’ your colleagues, and I think we do a very good job utilizing each other’s strengths and helping develop new strengths. I'm quite proud of our ability to deliver quality care as a team.”

And when he isn’t capturing images at KHSC, he’s peering through a different lens and developing his photography skills, with a camera his father gave him when he was teenager.