Jaw to the floor.
That was Skylar Dacey ’24’s reaction when she stepped into a hospital operating room for the first time. Unlike medical TV shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” where characters are in a constant frenzy, she witnessed the medical staffs’ calm under pressure and how the excitement of healing the person on the operating table created a camaraderie between the health professionals.
Dacey currently works as a cardiac ablation specialist for AtriCure. The company has served more than 650,000 patients worldwide with innovative atrial fibrillation (AFib) treatment solutions, such as the AtriClip. Additionally, the business has developed the first and only device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for surgical treatment of persistent Afib.
Knowing the ins and outs of the company’s products, Dacey educates surgeons on the importance of treating for AFib and is in the operating room to support surgeons who are using AtriCure’s products. This assistance could include coaching them on how to properly use AtriCure’s equipment, alternative ways to get the device in place, or answering questions. Outside the operating room, she’ll run practice sessions where surgeons conduct trials with new clips using a mannequin.
“Our entire goal is to treat as many patients as we can,” says Dacey. “There's a lot that comes with open heart surgery; only one-third of AFib has been treated, and these patients are really sick.”
Working on the New England team
Dacey is usually up before the sun.
Setting an alarm for 5 a.m. — or even a tad earlier — she heads to the hospital, checks in with credentialing services, visits the nurses, scrub technicians, and operating room desk, and then waits for the case.
“Once the case starts, I'll go into the room, say hi to the surgeon, and we’ll then go use AtriCure’s equipment,” Dacey says. “Most of the time I'll end up staying for the whole case because I enjoy watching and learning from the surgeons.”
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Working on the company’s New England team, Dacey’s territory spans from Boston proper to Springfield, Massachusetts. If she has more than one case on the same day, she’ll travel to the second hospital and restart the process.
“I do something different every day, which is really cool,” Dacey says. “The opportunity to look into someone's chest every single morning and see a miracle and how well-trained these surgeons are is truly a blessing.”
Training to get it right
Originally from Virginia, Dacey always had an interest in the human body. At Bryant, she loved exploring anatomy, kinesiology, and muscles and movement. The Health Sciences alum even completed research with Bryant’s Biological and Biomedical Sciences department chair and Clinical Associate Professor Jennifer Hurrell, PT, DHSc, and Exercise and Movement Science Program Director Jason Sawyer, Ph.D. In the Exercise and Movement Science lab, they studied variables that affect human physiological performance in athletes by examining the relationship between body composition and VO2 max (aerobic capacity).
Dacey drew heavily on her lab experience during her AtriCure interview process. With an offer letter in hand a short while later, Dacey completed the company’s month-long training program. She adds that Bryant’s coursework made the training program and transition into the job a seamless process.
“I have to be an expert in the heart and all of my products and always prepared for anything,” Dacey says. “It's all about healing people, and it's an unforgettable feeling the first time you see a life saved.”
