Two months ago, Kylie Hurst was hired as Poba’s new manufacturing operator. Kylie joined the team with a diverse professional background in the medical/healthcare field, along with a degree in biology and minor in Chemistry which she just recently completed at Northern Arizona University (NAU).
Kylie’s journey to Poba Medical has been a long one. Born in Lock Haven, PA into a military household, her life consisted of frequent moving and during her childhood Kylie attended 11 different schools. While it’s hard for her to identify a traditional hometown, the place she identifies home with the most is Okinawa Japan, where she lived for four years. “The locals were so kind and the friends I met there are irreplaceable. I'm already counting down the days until I can visit again.”
Before Poba, Kylie recently worked as an EMT for a private practice in California before moving to Flagstaff where she worked as a telemetry technician in the Flagstaff hospital. As a telemetry technician her job was to monitor and interpret patient heart rhythms which is where she found her passion for cardiology.
Working at Poba as a manufacturing operator, her job is to work in the balloon testing department and help complete tests to make sure each balloon that is created meets the appropriate specifications that each customer requests. With her previous experience in the healthcare field, Kylie says she chose to work at Poba because she wanted a different perspective on the medical industry than what she had been previously exposed to. As a telemetry technician she had seen and deployed medical devices, but had not been exposed to the process and science that goes into creating the devices.
”I really enjoy my job because every time I complete different tests for the balloons, whether it be burst testing, dimensional testing, or volume testing, I can see with my own eyes how our product starts and ends before shipment."
“Kylie’s previous experience working as a telemetry technician has translated well into her job as a manufacturing operator especially when it comes to overall dexterity and attention to detail” states Senior Operations Manager Christian Montanez. “Her “can-do attitude” and bubbly personality have made her a great fit for the Poba team.”
Kylie explains that she not only loves testing the balloons and watching the balloon forming process, but also really enjoys the fun dynamics of the Poba team. “Everyone has their own interesting background and personal interests that I enjoy learning about. The team engagement both in and out of the workplace is super awesome. Everyone regularly plans days to play football or soccer together which makes it even more enjoyable to come to work.”
When Kylie is not at work or playing football and soccer with her colleagues, she enjoys horseback riding and is also fluent in Swedish. “Overall I have an immense appreciation for the hard work and planning that I've seen take place so far in the short time I've been working for Poba Medical. I am extremely excited for what the future holds for me working here.”