US Radiology Specialists, Inc., (USRS), a physician-owned radiology practices, announces that it is expanding its Technologist Advancement Academy modality advancement program across the company’s network of more than 180 imaging centers and practice locations in 14 states. This expansion is part of US Radiology’s investment in providing career development for current employees and recruiting the next generation of radiology technologists to help keep pace with patient demand.
The US Radiology Technologist Advancement Academy is a company-sponsored training program that allows technologists to gain certification in additional imaging modalities, such as MRI, CT, ultrasound, and mammography. The program leverages US Radiology’s trainers and incorporates tools like ScanLabMR™, an imaging simulator, into its training methods.
Open positions in the Academy are filled by current USRS technologists interested in advancing their careers and compensation, as well as through hiring external candidates who currently hold certification as X-ray technologists into designated trainee positions where they can advance to other modalities.
“Cross-training within the company has been beneficial for my overall clinical learning experiences, and doing the work in an environment I was already familiar with made the transition easier than I anticipated. The opportunity has been great for my family and for furthering my career from an X-ray technologist to an MRI technologist,” says Jordan Fernandez, a radiology technologist at US Radiology’s Touchstone outpatient imaging center in Southlake, Texas. “I’m excited to be able to help even more patients in my new role.”
Industry-wide vacancy rates for technologists have risen sharply in the last several years, with near double-digit increases in vacancy rates across most specialties. Demand continues to outpace training program graduations, and employers are seeing more attrition due to professional burnout. With technologists playing a critical role in the patient care journey, addressing staffing shortages is a high priority for radiology practices and outpatient imaging centers.
“As we continue to expand our network and patient volume increases, the need to recruit talented technologists who share our commitment to exceptional care also grows,” says Jennifer Bibles, group president of operations for US Radiology. “Technologists are at the heart of our patient experience and in high demand in almost every region, so we are committed to providing competitive compensation, an appealing working environment, and career advancement to attract the best and brightest team members across our network.”