This content was published: January 6, 2003. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Project Designed to Expand Number of Radiographers
Photos and story by James Hill
SYLVANIA CAMPUS – Portland Community College has secured nearly $200,000 to fund a project to help fill a shortage of radiographers in the state.The PCC Radiography program received a total of $198,903 through a variety of healthcare organizations and foundations. A total of 15 healthcare facilities are contributing a combined $158,953 and the use of clinical sites for on-location training for the students. PCC also secured a $39,950 grant through the Northwest Health Foundation for the radiography program. The money will go toward buying a new desktop radiography imaging system.All of the money helps PCC’s radiography expansion project, which is attempting to increase the number of state-licensed radiographers in Oregon. There are not enough trained radiographers to meet healthcare needs in the state. In response, PCC has been able to increase its enrollment by 33 percent for 2002-03, bringing the number of students to 48. In the Portland area alone, the need is great for skilled radiographers. The Oregon Workforce Investment Board reports that there are currently 60 unfilled radiography positions and 84 new positions are supposed to open up in the next several years.The money will also go to hiring additional faculty to offer more course sections and identifying new clinical sites. Also, additional laboratories need to be enhanced with new equipment to provide students with the current technology."We are excited about the opportunity to expand our program at a time when many students are looking for a career with good job prospects and our hospital partners have a large need for radiographers,"said Debbie Biddle, director of Medical Imaging. "Everybody wins."So far, the students in the program are enjoying the opportunities and many got into radiography from other professions. Adam Mellott spent 11 years in the construction business when he went to a hospital after an accident. "I went in for multiple broken bones and it (radiography) looked fun and interesting,"he said.PCC will serve more than 105,000 part- and full-time students annually in a wide variety of programs this year. The college boasts three comprehensive campuses, four workforce training centers and approximately 200 community locations throughout its five-county district.For more information on this grant, contact Maurice McKinnon, dean of PCC’s Health and Family Services division, at 503-977-4216.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »