NICC expands Radiologic Technology program to address workforce needs and enrollment capacity

PEOSTA, Iowa-In response to a growing demand for healthcare professionals, Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) has expanded its Radiologic Technology program to increase enrollment capacity from 16 to 30 students beginning this fall. The expansion will reduce program entry waitlist times for students and also address a regional shortage of radiologic technologists.

"Reducing the wait time of the program was a huge deciding factor for me because taking a gap year was not something I was looking forward to. I was beyond excited to learn that I was accepted into the program a year earlier than I anticipated," said Natalie Weber, a first-year Radiologic Technology student. "This has a big impact on education at NICC because it attracts more students into the program, which eventually leads to helping with staffing issues within the radiology field. It also greatly affects my career plans. Now that I have started the program, I am one step closer to graduating and finding my dream job in radiology."

Previously, students could wait years to begin the program. With this expansion, NICC is offering more immediate access to high-quality education while helping area healthcare providers meet urgent staffing needs.

Expanding Access Across the Region

To support this growth, NICC has invested in two new on-campus X-ray simulation units and is currently expanding classroom facilities. In addition, the College has increased the number of clinical placement sites to include locations in Manchester, Cresco, Waukon, Decorah, Cedar Rapids, North Liberty and the Quad Cities.

This expansion offers students more flexibility and access to a greater variety of healthcare environments.

"I am very excited to be able to expand and support the northern area of the NICC district for students' clinical experience, as well as to be able to help fill healthcare jobs in that area," said Lora Hannan, NICC Radiologic Technology Program Director and instructor. "The program had a two- to three-year waitlist so those new students are thrilled to join earlier than expected and employers are thrilled that they will get more applicants to fill jobs."

Clinical Sites Enhance Student Readiness

Students say that increased access to clinical sites offers them broader experience and strengthens their future job prospects.

Leah Neiers, a second-year student, emphasized the importance of clinical partnerships: "The partnership between NICC and clinical site managers is very beneficial for future employment opportunities. Students can make connections with radiologic technologists at their clinical sites, which will demonstrate their work ethic, personality and other traits employers look for. It's a good way to get your foot in the door if you are looking at applying to one of our many clinical sites after graduation."

NICC program graduate Genevieve White, a radiologic technologist at Regional Medical Center in Machester, agreed. "Exposure to clinical sites across a broader geographic area is so beneficial for rad tech students. Being able to see the variety of exams and situations students will encounter once they are a registered technologist is vital. Having exposure to more places and being able to see more things will make future students more prepared for the real world. It will also make it easier on students so they don't have to drive as far to be able to do clinicals," she said.

Healthcare Leaders Applaud the Initiative

The move has received strong support from regional healthcare providers, who see the expansion as a meaningful step toward improving workforce readiness and retention.

"All students should have access to a variety of environments," said Mindy Balk, Director of Radiology at Regional Health Services of Howard County. "Critical Access hospital departments operate at a completely different level from large facilities. For example, smaller facilities often have multi-modality (e.g., X-ray and CT, or MRI/CT) technologists whereas larger facilities typically have you working in a singular modality. The more they can be exposed to, the better equipped they will be to find their interests within the program and help them decide what types of facilities they would like to work in post-graduation."

Megan Demmer, Radiology Manager at Regional Medical Center in Manchester, added, "There is a need for radiologic technologists, so reducing the waitlist will allow programs to provide quality technologists to many areas near and far. Employers will have more options when looking to hire and can focus on finding the right fit for their department instead of just hiring a body to fill a job opening."

Students in the Radiologic Technology program who complete their education and training are in demand for their knowledge and skills. Immersion in active learning through state-of-the-art energized labs, classroom and clinical experiences in the community prepares students for a range of experiences and employment opportunities. The two-year Associate of Applied Science program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT). The average salary for program graduates in northeast Iowa is $64,436, and the projected growth for the occupation is 1.1% through 2030, according to Lightcast laborshed data. For more information, visit nicc.edu/radtech .