WVU Hospitals, part of Morgantown, W.Va.-based WVU Medicine, is expanding its MRI technologist workforce through a hospital-based education program to meet rising imaging demands.
The 12-month certificate program accepts six students annually and combines classroom instruction with hands-on clinical training. Graduates are eligible to take the national board exam to become credentialed magnetic resonance technologists, according to a Dec. 16 news release.
MRI technologists are frequently hired into roles across WVU Hospitals, which includes J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital and Golisano Children’s Hospital — both in Morgantown — and Fairmont (W.Va.) Medical Center.
Since the program launched in 2009, WVU Hospitals has grown its MRI staff from about 10 to more than 40 technologists, according to Brad Holben, director of the MRI Education Program.
Current projections suggest imaging demand will continue rising nationwide, with utilization expected to grow between 16.9% and 26.9% by 2055, according to the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute in Reston, Va.
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