Our Point of Care Ultrasound
Workshop Instructors
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SUSANNA RUDY: DNP, MFS, ENP, AGACNP-BC, FNP-BC
Dr. Susanna Rudy is an Emergency Nurse Practitioner, educator, and internationally recognized expert in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). With more than 36 years of clinical experience in emergency medicine and critical care, she continues to practice in emergency medicine, critical care, and telemedicine while advancing POCUS education for healthcare professionals worldwide.
Dr. Rudy developed and directed the Introduction to Point-of-Care Ultrasound for the Advanced Practice Provider course at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. She is a sought-after national and international speaker, teaching POCUS for organizations including the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), the American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners (AAENP), and the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM). She also consults with universities and healthcare organizations to develop and implement innovative ultrasound education programs.
A passionate educator, Dr. Rudy has helped shape POCUS curricula through her leadership on national ultrasound education committees and as faculty with the Society of Critical Care Medicine. Her commitment to humanitarian medicine extends internationally, where she provides frontline medical education for combat medics and delivers ongoing POCUS training to physicians and medics working in Ukraine.
Dr. Rudy is also recognized for advancing simulation-based learning through emerging technologies. Her pioneering work integrating virtual reality into ultrasound education earned international recognition, including the Learn X Platinum Award for Best VR Hard Skills Training Project and the Brandon Hall Group Gold Excellence Award. Dr. Rudy is passionate about making ultrasound education practical, accessible, and immediately applicable to clinical practice, empowering clinicians to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient care in every practice environment.
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SUSAN MUNSON: BS, RCS, RDMS, RVS
Recognized by America’s Best in Medicine, Brings Decades of Expertise in Cardiac Sonography, Ultrasound Education, and Medical Imaging Innovation. Veteran Clinical Educator and Registered Sonographer Combines Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Experience with a Passion for Teaching and Healthcare Technology. Susan is a highly accomplished cardiac and vascular sonographer with more than 25 years of experience in medical imaging, ultrasound education, and clinical applications. Known for her expertise across multiple sonography specialties, Susan continues to make a meaningful impact in patient care, diagnostic accuracy, and healthcare education through her work at HCA TriStar Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Currently serving as a Clinical Educator and Cardiac Sonographer, Susan performs a broad range of advanced echocardiographic procedures, including transthoracic echocardiograms, transesophageal studies, stress echocardiography, bubble studies, and Definity enhanced imaging. Registered in multiple sonography modalities, including RDMS (Abdomen) and CCI RCS(Registered Cardiac Sonographer), RVS (Registered Vascular Sonographer), she is widely respected for her precision, technical skill, and collaborative approach to supporting physicians and healthcare teams in delivering high-quality patient care.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Susan has built a career that uniquely combines clinical excellence with strong business and technology experience. In addition to her extensive hands-on imaging background, she spent more than a decade working in ultrasound applications, IT integration, and medical equipment support with organizations including Mindray North America, Terason, and FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation. In these roles, she provided clinical applications training, workflow optimization, and digital imaging support to healthcare providers across the country.
This combination of technical expertise and clinical insight has enabled Susan to effectively bridge the gap between patient care and advancing medical technology. Her ability to understand both the operational and clinical sides of ultrasound imaging has made her a valuable resource to hospitals, clinicians, and educational programs alike. Education remains one of Susan’s greatest passions. She previously served as an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, where she trained nurse practitioner students in point-of-care ultrasound and focused assessment techniques. She continues to consult with emerging nurse practitioner programs while exploring opportunities to develop her own ultrasound education initiatives.
“What I enjoy most is helping people,” says Susan. “I really love ultrasound — everything about ultrasound — and I love teaching. If I don’t understand something, I try to find out why. I’m always questioning why, because I’m genuinely passionate about this work and sharing that knowledge with others.” Looking ahead, Susan plans to continue advancing her work in cardiac sonography, intraoperative imaging applications, and ultrasound education. Through her commitment to innovation, mentorship, and lifelong learning, she continues to help shape the future of diagnostic imaging and medical education. Learn more about Susan H. Munson: Through her America’s Best in Medicine profile, https://americasbestinmedicine.com/connect/susanmunson America's Best in Medicine is a specialist online platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of leading
healthcare professionals across the United States. They bring together top healthcare providers from all specialties and cities to share expert-driven articles, research, commentary, and clinical insight. Their core purposes are to showcase excellence in healthcare, build trust between providers and the public, and ensure that expert voices are elevated and heard in shaping medicine. Through their platform, users can access a
community of leaders, opportunities for providers to share expertise, and trusted guidance for patients and peers alike.
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SUE HALTERMAN: MA, RDMS, RDCS, RVT, NTQR, FMF, RT (R)
Clinical/Education Applications Specialist at Intelligent Ultrasound Surgical Science Ultrasound Simulation. Sue is registered by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers under multiple specialties. She holds multiple professor and adjunct Professor positions including West Virginia School of Medicine (MFM, Internal Medicine) VCOM DO Medical school, Vanderbilt University SON NP Program, UNCC NP program. Sue was also the Program Director for both Diagnostic Medical Sonography & CardioVascular programs at Sanford Brown College Farmington CT, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, Hudson, NC. Her clinical practice institutions include WV University Medical Center, SOM, Garrett County Regional Hospital, UNC MFM, and Atrium Health.
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​​JAMES BOLES: BA, RDMS, RDCS, RVT, RTR.
With more than 30 years of experience in diagnostic medical sonography, I have practiced across a wide range of healthcare environments, including academic medical centers, community and rural hospitals, outpatient imaging centers, and mobile ultrasound services. I began my career at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville and have held clinical positions at institutions including Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Fairbanks Memorial Hospital in Fairbanks, Alaska.
My clinical expertise includes adult echocardiography, vascular ultrasound, abdominal, obstetric and gynecologic, small parts, pediatric echocardiography, and urologic imaging, with a particular focus on cardiovascular and vascular diagnostics. Throughout my career, I have combined clinical excellence with a passion for education, serving as a Clinical Applications Specialist for Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard, where I provided ultrasound education, hands-on clinical training, and technical support to physicians and sonographers nationwide.
Currently, I practice as a PRN Echo and Vascular Sonographer at Skyline Medical Center in
Nashville and as a PRN Vascular Sonographer with Vanderbilt Heart in Columbia, Tennessee. I remain committed to advancing excellence in cardiovascular imaging, mentoring sonographers, and promoting high-quality, patient-centered ultrasound care.