I always knew I wanted to help people. So the moment I graduated high school, I went straight into healthcare.

After six years of college, extensive clinical training, and an exhaustive qualification process, I became a board certified cardiovascular perfusionist. (Don’t worry, I’ll explain what that is in a second!)

I went on to work in some of the most prestigious hospitals in the country. But after nearly three decades in the operating room, I came to realize there was an aspect of my skill set that kept rising to the surface and refusing to be ignored.

See, I’ve always loved connecting with patients–breaking down confusing concepts for them, translating complicated data into usable info, and decoding ‘science speak’ so that they can make informed decisions they feel good about.

As it turns out, this is my true passion. And in true Rosemarie-style (just ask my poor family!), as soon as I realized this, I decided to go all-in—committing fully to this new direction and determined to make journalism my full-time career.

Cue two years at Columbia, a bunch of intern-and cadetships (including at NBC’s TodayHealth) and way too many late nights spent trawling the internet and PubMed, and I finally achieved my goal!

Then COVID happened.

At the start of 2020, I was reporting full time for CBS NEWS19 WLTX in Columbia, SC, while also picking up weekly perfusion shifts to keep my skills current.

Little did I know that when I co-anchored the live COVID special on the evening of February27 2020, it would be my last broadcast for more than four years.

That night, on the drive home, I got the phone call that would upend my life: ‘Hey Rose, the ICUs are getting really busy; we are drowning. Can you help us out?’

I knew I had to do anything I possibly could to play my part, help out my community, and support the perfusion teams who had always been so supportive of my news career—even if it meant leaving my dream job…

So there was only one answer to the question: yes.

Why were perfusionists so crucial during COVID?

(Um, and what IS cardiovascular perfusion?!)

Cardiovascular perfusionists are highly trained members of the surgical team.

We operate the heart-lung machine (technically a ‘cardiopulmonary bypass pump’) for patients undergoing heart surgery. This allows the blood to bypass (or detour) the respiratory organs so that the surgeon can operate on a perfectly still, unbeating heart.

Another machine we operate is called an ECMO machine, which stands for ‘Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation’.

It’s this machine that was so desperately needed during the pandemic, as ECMO support is the highest level of life support. It’s used to help patients for whom ventilators are not enough. So with COVID tearing apart hearts and lungs, they were needed everywhere.

As a perfusionist, I work under and alongside cardiothoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, nurses and techs. And in 2020, we became the front line.

Working on the hospital frontline during the pandemic was like nothing I’ve ever experienced, or will ever forget.

Covering shifts around the clock, witnessing more deaths than I’d ever seen before, dealing with chaos and uncertainty, scrambling to make do when the hospital ran out of supplies and protective gear… then scrambling again when they ran out of beds.

I didn’t have to watch the news, I was living it.

I mean that last line literally, by the way.
Here’s the front page of The New York Times on 08/01/2021—that’s me, front right, during morning rounds at the ICU at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.

This intense pace continued for months, then years. With exhaustion consuming us, I knew that if I was going to survive, I needed a spark to keep me going.

So I made a decision: when the pandemic was finally over, my life was going to change. Big time. For good.

Fast forward through a milestone birthday and the start of 2023, and it’s now *finally* time to emerge from the operating room, shed the cap and scrubs, and get back to the mission I was on three years ago, though now with renewed passion, vigor and insight: reporting.

Looking back, these past few years have taught me a lot.

I’ve always been hugely passionate about my health and wellness. Now I’m committed to my daily habits in a way I never have been before.

I’ve always known that caring for your mental and physical health is important. Now I’m following through with practical action—including a newfound love for meditation and yoga.

And I’ve always known that time is precious… These days, I actually live that truth.

So what’s the outcome of this experience?

Well, put simply, when I’m standing in front of a camera delivering the facts, you can bet your bottom dollar that my health reporting hits different.

So many of the qualities that make a good perfusionist also make a good journalist–like impeccable research, high level interviewing and listening skills, translating and delivering complex topics to the public, making quick decisions, tenacious work ethic, and (of course) having the utmost compassion and integrity through it all.

In fact, in many ways, this ‘second act’ of my career feels less like a ‘180’ and more like a natural progression—and I’m so grateful to be back on this path.

So thank you so much for stopping by my site, and taking this time to get to know me. I can’t wait to share my next story with you!

Love Rosemarie

When she’s not on call or on camera…

 

As if it’s not enough to be immersed in the world of health and wellness at work, Rose is just as passionate about it in her personal life.

In her time off, you’ll find her sweating it out in a fitness class, training to be a meditation teacher, or escaping into nature.

Always hungry for adventure, her recent escapades include scuba diving and sailing in pristine waters, getting zen on a sun-soaked yoga retreat, and frolicking with dolphins (while trying very hard not to become shark food!).

Professional Bio

Rosemarie Beltz spent nearly three decades working as a cardiac perfusionist in some of the country’s best hospitals before becoming a Columbia-trained journalist. She’s appeared as a reporter, medical correspondent and panelist across national and local news affiliates such as ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and more.

After an extended period at KREM2 NEWS in Spokane, WA, Rosemarie began reporting for News 19 WLTX in Columbia, SC, which is where she was working in 2020. Little did she know that her co-anchor role during the live COVID Special on February 27, 2020 would be her last broadcast for three years. With COVID hitting New York hard, Rosemarie felt called to return to the operating room to help take care of patients. She ended up working as a perfusionist throughout the entire pandemic, flying to hospitals across the country and serving in surgical teams in some of the hardest hit ICUs, including New York City.

Rosemarie’s insider’s perspective on the healthcare profession–and her knack for explaining complex medical concepts in an informative and entertaining way–has always made her reporting stand out. Now, with her invaluable experience on the hospital front lines, it’s sure to further cement her status as a trusted voice that viewers love.

Even when she’s not at work, Rosemarie lives and breathes health and wellness. She’s a qualified meditation teacher, devoted yoga lover, proud dog mama, and is certified in both scuba diving and sailing.

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