Education & Workforce Development

Partners Radiology Medical Imaging Loan Forgiveness Program

Background: 

For many years, the cyclical shortage of imaging technologists has been an expected phenomenon. Every 5-10 years radiology administrators have had to contend with this issue, and have had to scramble to bring much needed help into their practice. Hiring bonuses, wage wars, and hiring of expensive temporary staff are just some of the methods used to combat this issue. Partners Radiology saw the need to address the ongoing radiologic technologist shortage, and along with the Boston Private Industry Council, launched this loan forgiveness program.

Goal:

The goal of this program is to create a sustainable pipeline of imaging professionals by recruiting highly motivated incumbent and non-incumbent individuals into imaging degree programs.

Project Lead: Mary Jane Ryan
Project Contact:

Project Plan:

  • Create a business plan
  • Obtain executive leadership buy-in
  • Obtain support from managers, staff and Human Resources
  • Present and explain program to non-imaging managers (These managers would see some of their staff recruited to the radiology department, so they needed to completely understand and accept the problem and proposed solution)
  • Develop program and funding
  • Create a database to store information and track student/graduate progress

Summary:

Partners Radiology saw the need to address the ongoing radiologic technologist shortage, and along with the Boston Private Industry Council, launched this loan forgiveness program. Within two years, Partners was able to successfully recruit and support more than 80 new radiologic technologists from initial interest through graduation. The recruitment effort helped reduce the utilization of temporary/agency personnel that cost the system more than $6 million in 2001. The system utilized a multi-disciplinary team of professionals at multiple levels in the organization to achieve significant results in a relatively short period of time.

Download Application

Download the Application in PDF

Applications accepted from January 1 - June 1
Deadline for submission:  June 1

Please send the completed application form to:

Lisa Ewing, RT(R), MSHI, BSM, CIIP, CPHIMS
Imaging Loan Forgiveness Program Manager
101 Merrimac Street Suite 338
Boston, MA 02114
lewing@partners.org

Also, read a staffing case study by MJ Ryan:

The Predictable Swarm