How Did I End Up Here? Michael Garcia, MBA, REEGT, CNIM

How did I get here… Well, probably like anyone else, this really didn’t feel like a straight path getting here.  It probably never does!

It was probably due to me just not knowing what I wanted to be when I “grew up”, but like others around my age, I really just fell into neuro-diagnostics.

At 22, I was at the end of my collegiate life and realizing I needed to find a “real” job/career and really just needing something lined up when I graduated.  I remember applying to almost anything and every position that I could.

In 2005, I applied for a Cardio Tech position in my hometown of San Angelo, Texas.  Admittedly, I had to look up what a Cardio Tech actually did!  I remember thinking, “yeah, I can do EKGs and Stress Tests and maybe help in the Cath Lab, sounds good!”  And if there was some other position in the hospital, I came across, maybe I could cross train into that.  (Looking back at this, I’m still not planning my career out well at this point but it’s an opportunity and sometimes that’s all it takes).

Turns out this was a really cool position to start in for me.  The Neurodiagnostic Tech position was in the Cardiopulmonary Department and the majority of the job was doing Routine EEGs, eventually some AEEGs, and Intra-Operative Monitoring – spinal fusions, Craniotomies, and Carotid Endarterectomies.  But I also performed EKGs, Stress Tests, Pulmonary Function Testing, and was 1^st Assist on pretty much all Bronchoscopies done in the hospital.  Talk about not ever having the same day twice.  I don’t ever remember being bored – I got to see surgeries, learn about neuro and cardio pulmonary, and even got to use my BLS skills from time to time in the ER or Cardio.  The hospital was also very supportive and paid for my REEG T and CNIM tests as they wanted credentialed technologists in these areas.  I do feel fortunate and blessed that they wanted these first steps done and were willing to help as this opened doors for me later on in my career.  

It was at this time, 2010-ish, that my then manager at the hospital introduced me to Steven Estes and potential EEG opportunity way out in west Texas performing ambulatory studies in patients’ homes after shifts at the hospital.  There were not a lot of quality EEG opportunities in that part of Texas at the time so for this to come up was awesome.  That opportunity was Global Neuro-Diagnostics and as it turns out, I ended up really liking this moonlighting gig.  I would work my shift at the hospital, drive 1.5-2 hours to Midland, Odessa, and Abilene and perform a set up and drive back home and I did that 2-3 times per week with a young family.  I don’t recall ever feeling exhausted or not wanting to do the moonlighting job – so I guess I was having fun!

Then as it happens, things change, and other career opportunities come up – “grass always looks greener” situation in this case.  Mine was that I had a good IOM position came across my path.  This did require some convincing for my wife to leave her hometown and relocate to San Antonio.  I grew up a military brat so I was used to moving around every 4 years.  I think maybe I was also having the itch for something new.  This ended up being a great change for us even though it took us further from family and friends.  Working solely in IOM was fun for a bit – I already liked the surgery environment and the folks that work there, and this was the same.  I met a lot of great people and even traveled a little with the position.  I even had a pretty lax schedule for a few months in the summer.

After about a year there, I encountered my first career scare.  As it turns out, the company I worked for had some issues and was closing its doors at Christmas time, none-the-less.  I do not recommend that experience.  I did some IOM job hunting but was not having much luck as I was still the new guy and helping the more established techs with their docs and cases, so I didn’t appeal to too many companies as I couldn’t bring any docs with me and now there was a large pool of CNIM techs looking for work all at the same time.  In the midst of all that, I got a message from one Steven Estes – yep same one - saying Global needed some help in the growing San Antoino/Central Texas area and if I was interested in re-joining Global.  Timing could not have been better!

For the next 6 years, I enjoyed my time at Global; meeting a lot of good techs, forging friendships, traveling, setting up EEGs, and at the end even being a part of the very basic monitoring which would evolve into IM later on.  It was here that I experienced my second big career change: Natus was closing Global Neuro-Diagnostics.  So, job hunting in a hurry again.

I held a few positions following Global; one at another ambulatory company, one at a local San Antonio hospital – neither one of those lasted very long.  One of those previous Global friendships guided me towards Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin where I learned a lot about the EMU, childhood epilepsy, and just how things work.  I very much enjoyed that position and in hindsight would have loved to have the experience and the knowledge I gained there earlier in my career.  

Summer of 2020, this time it was Carmen who reached out.  She let me know that Steven and Keith have this small company called Integris and she’s running the day to day.  After explaining what they do, how they wanted to grow, and where I could fit in working in IM and performing set ups, I could not say no.  I knew how they ran things and knew I wanted to be a part of it.  I also got to work from home!  The culture and setting was/is perfect for me.

Anyway, over 5 years later I’m still here and looking forward to the future with Integris.  I am impressed with the growth that I have been a part of and have been able to witness and glad I have a home here.  

I am truly grateful for the opportunities I have had along the way, the people I have met, and the good fortune I’ve had along my path in getting here.  I am also blessed for the great friends I have made through EEG and Integris and all of the great folks I am surrounded by everyday.  Wouldn’t change it for the world!

Michael Garcia, MBA, REEGT, CNIM