Celebrating 30 Years!
This year, Reid Hatch, our Production Manager, celebrated his 30th year of working for VATA!
Reid met our Founder, Tom Call, in the early days of VATA (when Tom’s garage was HQ!) and jumped right in. He has worked closely in the production of almost all of VATA’s products over the past three decades.
Today, his days look a little different from when he first started. Day-to-day, he’s the first person here in order to get production rolling for the team. With such a wide array of products, a precise schedule is essential to minimize delays and disruptions.
Reid has seen it all over his 30 years at VATA, and one of his favorite models to work on is the one that started it all. “Chester Chest has essentially stayed the same over the years with a few improvements. Something that was kind of neat was when we upgraded the model and the arm, I was actually the model for the arm. Chester’s right arm was created off a mold of my arm,” Reid said.
“2365 (Advanced Venipuncture Training Aid) is also a popular one. That wasn’t here when I started so I’ve been around for the entire evolution of it. We’ve done at least four versions of the 2365 and at the beginning it was such a different thing. But it’s just become such a different model and is much more production friendly as well.”
Something that’s stood out to Reid over the years is the artistry that goes into every model. The level of detail and realism is not commonplace in our industry. “So many of our wound care products are artwork” Reid said. “The people that are producing these products—they are painted and everything is basically done by hand. People are hand-painting these products with brushes.”
We’re so fortunate to have had Reid on our team for the past 30 years. Congratulations, Reid, on this incredible accomplishment!
Chester Chest in Action at a Skills Fair
"We use Chester for many purposes—education of RNs and patients. Some of our oncology patients are taught to de-access their port at home and we use Chester in the teaching. We use Chester for our Annual Skills Fair that 75-80 RNs participate in and Chester has his own station for practice, and then validation of access and de-access. The ability for nurses and patients to visualize the port and the opportunity to practice is extremely valuable. We also love to dress Chester up for the holidays! We love Chester because he is not embarrassed to show his bare chest, he does not complain or express fear of pain or needles. He is a YES man!"
–Kathy Stafford, Kaiser Permanente Infusion Center
This year marks 34 years of Chester Chest!
VATA’s Chester Chest has been an industry standard in the teaching of central line care since VATA’s inception in 1987.
Available in both light and dark pigments, Chester Chest enables physicians, nurses, and patients to develop competence with the most common types of vascular access devices.
With the ability to practice infusion, withdrawal, securement, and dressings of multiple vascular access lines, this realistic model makes learning to palpate and access implanted ports simple and straightforward.
VATA’s Chester Chest 2400 model has everything needed for training and a quick and easy set up. Chester Chest can be used to simulate accessing normal, tipping, wandering, or deeply placed IVAD placements in the left chest area. Successful access is confirmed by a “blood” return and fluid can be infused and “blood” withdrawn from all the lines.
One of Chester Chest’s best qualities is that it lasts! VATA also offers a refurbishing service at about half the price of the current model. Clients can send in their older Chester models and have them cleaned, updated, and refurbished.