Founder’s Story and the Mission of Diagnostology
12/10/19

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My father, Dr. Fridtjof Nussbaumer, was an orthopedic surgeon who practiced in upstate New York for over 30 years. Before I became involved in ultrasound education and research, my life looked very different. I was delivering pizza, writing music, broke, and struggling to find my path.

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Everything changed after my father underwent a cardiac ultrasound. He called me afterward and told me about the experience. How incredible it was that physicians could see and hear blood flow inside the body. He mentioned there was an ultrasound school near where he lived and encouraged me to apply. Shortly after a particularly difficult day delivering pizza, I agreed. I applied, was accepted, and my life changed course.

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On the second day of class, I was introduced to Doppler ultrasound. At that moment, I was completely hooked. The idea that sound could be used to evaluate blood flow inside the human body felt revolutionary. I immersed myself in ultrasound, learning everything I could, and I continue to do so to this day. Over time, I became an expert in vascular, abdominal, superficial structures, and oncologic ultrasound, as well as ultrasound research.

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I began my professional career at Mobile Infirmary Medical Center, where I was fortunate to receive extensive hands-on training. Without that experience, I might not be in this field at all. I remain deeply grateful for my time there. When our department struggled to find qualified new hires, I recognized a significant gap in healthcare education and an opportunity to help address it.

 

In 1999, I founded the Gulfcoast Institute of Vascular Ultrasound, the first specialized ultrasound school of its kind in the United States. Since founding Gulfcoast, I have been dedicated to creating a field of medicine devoted solely to diagnosis. I named this field Diagnostology.

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Just as cardiology has the cardiologist and neurology has the neurologist, Diagnostology will have the diagnostologist. Diagnostology recognizes diagnosis itself as a distinct and essential medical discipline. The diagnostologist is trained with a singular focus: to acquire, analyze, and support accurate diagnosis using advanced, noninvasive imaging, particularly ultrasound, while working in close collaboration with physicians. Much like Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners were created to strengthen patient care, the diagnostologist exists to strengthen and support the diagnostic process, helping physicians reach accurate conclusions earlier and more safely.

 

Gulfcoast remains open today under new ownership as the Cardiac and Vascular Institute, even retaining the original logo. In my twenties, eager to explore the broader world of ultrasound, I sold my shares to my partners and spent several years traveling as an ultrasound specialist.

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A traveling assignment in Boston led me to Massachusetts General Hospital, where I was hired as the Technical Manager of the General Ultrasound Department to incorporate vascular ultrasound services. MGH was fast-paced and high-volume, and the experience was both demanding and deeply rewarding. During my time there, I was able to pursue research and publish original work in association with Harvard, becoming, at the time, the only non-physician published in the MGH/Harvard research journals.

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After an injury left me unable to perform multiple ultrasounds each day, I faced another pivotal moment. I made the decision to open a second ultrasound school, one built not only on technical excellence, but on the philosophy of Diagnostology. After years of dedication, the Center for Ultrasound Research and Education, known as CURE, received licensure and began teaching.

 

Our first class, in New Rochelle, New York, consisted of just four students in a single room. Today, located in White Plains, New York, CURE has grown into a full campus filled with bright and dedicated students. I am deeply grateful to help create opportunities for students to graduate, succeed, and become leaders in diagnostic medicine.

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At CURE, we are educating diagnostologists. Our mission is to help physicians obtain accurate diagnoses earlier, more safely, and more effectively. One of our primary goals is to reduce cancers caused by medical radiation. As ultrasound education improves and diagnostologists become integral members of healthcare teams, we believe ultrasound will increasingly replace unnecessary X-ray, CT, and PET imaging, reducing radiation exposure while improving patient outcomes.

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As we prepare to expand CURE into other states over the coming years, we do so with a clear sense of responsibility and purpose. We are embarking on a future of safe diagnosis, one grounded in precision, collaboration, and patient-centered care. This is the future of Diagnostology, and the diagnostologist is at the heart of that mission.

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If you would like more information about me or about CURE, please feel free to contact me at karen@cure.edu.

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Stay safe and sound,

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Karen Nussbaumer
Founder, CURE
Founder of Diagnostology