The Oregon Institute of Technology
in Klamath Falls.
in Klamath Falls.
A rural college producing ultrasound experts
June 15, 2018
By Debbie McCollam
The fragmented, underserved, and depressed financial circumstances of rural healthcare leave a large imprint on rural populations.
Most of us in the healthcare profession know there are big strides to make in rural healthcare initiatives. Because of the way they improve quality and expedite care, technology initiatives, especially those involving increased and improved ultrasound services, are needed now, more than ever.
The need for access to ultrasound technology is not only an issue for rural healthcare. With the growth in number of diagnostic medical sonography procedures, and the rapid advancements in technology, the demand for skilled sonographers is on the rise. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected job growth rate for diagnostic medical sonography is exponentially higher than other industry fields.
For those of us who are educators, these needs and growth prospects will not only increase the number of students we teach and train, they will also demand that we continue to innovate in our classrooms and clinical settings. Meeting the rural need and healthcare demand for ultrasound experts begins with a bold and cutting-edge education at the intersection of medicine and technology.
Oregon Institute of Technology, better known as Oregon Tech, is in a unique position as one of the few institutions in the nation (and the only in the state of Oregon) to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Echocardiography and Vascular Technology.
One of our top priorities has been to integrate state-of-the-art technology initiatives into all stages of the curriculum. At Oregon Tech, ultrasound education has long relied on industry partnerships to train our students to be experts in the latest technology. Most recently, we acquired twenty-five new Mindray DC-8 Exp high-performance ultrasound systems to make sure students have access to equipment that matches the best available in healthcare settings. The Oregon Tech-Mindray partnership, which extends beyond equipment acquisition and installation to include ongoing service and applications support, is a way to bring the real world of healthcare into the classroom. This allows students to develop advanced technical skills and expertise in the latest technology that is immediately applicable and easily translated into an actual healthcare setting.
Many ultrasound programs continue to rely on second-hand systems to train future providers. We have found that seeking out and prioritizing industry partnerships with medical technology suppliers to enable access to new systems not only enhances the education students receive, but also benefits the healthcare landscape more generally. The access students have to top of the line technology prepares them to be leaders in their field. Ultrasound experts who understand the latest technology can produce some of the best diagnostic outcomes, from higher image quality to the acquisition of real-time volumes of tissue.
Importantly, the benefits students receive exceed only learning how to use and implement the most recent cutting-edge technology. We strive to also train students in the utilization of manual and automated settings, to allow them to develop the necessary expertise in optimizing ultrasound images. Learning both automated and manual techniques allows future sonographers to gain confidence in the application of what is learned in the educational setting to the patient environment. Graduates who are adept and self-assured in automated and manual controls are the cornerstone of innovative and quality medical imaging education, and serve the healthcare landscape more broadly.
As a polytechnic university in a rural setting, we have a big impact in Oregon’s rural healthcare. The absence of high-quality ultrasound services in rural areas across the United States situates our programs in a unique position to provide for underserved areas. In addition to externship sites across the state, we also utilize a variety of local externship sites to get our students involved in rural health initiatives as leading medical technology experts. 
This prepares students to serve a variety of patient populations and understand the areas of need and issues of accessibility in healthcare from a hands-on approach. While our graduates end up serving a variety of geographic areas, many do stay to serve the local area, which dramatically affects the rural healthcare environment in which we live.
Innovative education is not restricted to the cutting-edge technology embedded in the curriculum. It also addresses issues of accessibility, availability, and cultural competency. Although not all ultrasound education programs have the geographic proximity to rural healthcare that Oregon Tech does, rural health initiatives in education are vital to changing and enhancing access to healthcare. Providing opportunities for students to participate in a variety of clinical settings is invaluable for the practical experience necessary to address the wide variety of patient care and diverse populations’ needs. Because we want to maximize our students’ application of learning in the classroom to their field of study, we have made it a priority to offer eleven-month clinical externships to each student, as opposed to the traditional six- or nine-month duration required of other programs.
At Oregon Tech, quality matters. Thus, all three sonography-related programs are accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). We also work regularly with the State of Oregon to ensure we include the maximum number of educational hours required to achieve the Bachelor of Science degree. Internally, all programs are held to a very high standard with respect to program assessment, which also serves regional accreditation standards.
The role of ultrasound education in the changing landscape of healthcare, rural and otherwise, should not be underestimated. Didactic and clinical training that prioritizes advancements in technology and patient care education is a must if diagnostic imaging services are to realize their fullest potential to enhance the delivery of healthcare to communities. Highly skilled ultrasound experts right out of graduation are able to make immediate impact on diagnostics and treatment procedures. With the rapid pace of technological change and the rising need for medical services that employ technology, educational programs have a large role to play in creating medical providers who are technology and technological experts that are patient-focused.
About the author: Debbie McCollam is a professor, R.T.(R)(M) at the Oregon Institute of Technology and the Medical Imaging Technology Department Chair.
The fragmented, underserved, and depressed financial circumstances of rural healthcare leave a large imprint on rural populations.
Most of us in the healthcare profession know there are big strides to make in rural healthcare initiatives. Because of the way they improve quality and expedite care, technology initiatives, especially those involving increased and improved ultrasound services, are needed now, more than ever.
The need for access to ultrasound technology is not only an issue for rural healthcare. With the growth in number of diagnostic medical sonography procedures, and the rapid advancements in technology, the demand for skilled sonographers is on the rise. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected job growth rate for diagnostic medical sonography is exponentially higher than other industry fields.
For those of us who are educators, these needs and growth prospects will not only increase the number of students we teach and train, they will also demand that we continue to innovate in our classrooms and clinical settings. Meeting the rural need and healthcare demand for ultrasound experts begins with a bold and cutting-edge education at the intersection of medicine and technology.
Oregon Institute of Technology, better known as Oregon Tech, is in a unique position as one of the few institutions in the nation (and the only in the state of Oregon) to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Echocardiography and Vascular Technology.
One of our top priorities has been to integrate state-of-the-art technology initiatives into all stages of the curriculum. At Oregon Tech, ultrasound education has long relied on industry partnerships to train our students to be experts in the latest technology. Most recently, we acquired twenty-five new Mindray DC-8 Exp high-performance ultrasound systems to make sure students have access to equipment that matches the best available in healthcare settings. The Oregon Tech-Mindray partnership, which extends beyond equipment acquisition and installation to include ongoing service and applications support, is a way to bring the real world of healthcare into the classroom. This allows students to develop advanced technical skills and expertise in the latest technology that is immediately applicable and easily translated into an actual healthcare setting.
Many ultrasound programs continue to rely on second-hand systems to train future providers. We have found that seeking out and prioritizing industry partnerships with medical technology suppliers to enable access to new systems not only enhances the education students receive, but also benefits the healthcare landscape more generally. The access students have to top of the line technology prepares them to be leaders in their field. Ultrasound experts who understand the latest technology can produce some of the best diagnostic outcomes, from higher image quality to the acquisition of real-time volumes of tissue.
Importantly, the benefits students receive exceed only learning how to use and implement the most recent cutting-edge technology. We strive to also train students in the utilization of manual and automated settings, to allow them to develop the necessary expertise in optimizing ultrasound images. Learning both automated and manual techniques allows future sonographers to gain confidence in the application of what is learned in the educational setting to the patient environment. Graduates who are adept and self-assured in automated and manual controls are the cornerstone of innovative and quality medical imaging education, and serve the healthcare landscape more broadly.
As a polytechnic university in a rural setting, we have a big impact in Oregon’s rural healthcare. The absence of high-quality ultrasound services in rural areas across the United States situates our programs in a unique position to provide for underserved areas. In addition to externship sites across the state, we also utilize a variety of local externship sites to get our students involved in rural health initiatives as leading medical technology experts.
Learning to use manual and automated ultrasound
settings are all part of the OIT curriculum.
settings are all part of the OIT curriculum.
Innovative education is not restricted to the cutting-edge technology embedded in the curriculum. It also addresses issues of accessibility, availability, and cultural competency. Although not all ultrasound education programs have the geographic proximity to rural healthcare that Oregon Tech does, rural health initiatives in education are vital to changing and enhancing access to healthcare. Providing opportunities for students to participate in a variety of clinical settings is invaluable for the practical experience necessary to address the wide variety of patient care and diverse populations’ needs. Because we want to maximize our students’ application of learning in the classroom to their field of study, we have made it a priority to offer eleven-month clinical externships to each student, as opposed to the traditional six- or nine-month duration required of other programs.
At Oregon Tech, quality matters. Thus, all three sonography-related programs are accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). We also work regularly with the State of Oregon to ensure we include the maximum number of educational hours required to achieve the Bachelor of Science degree. Internally, all programs are held to a very high standard with respect to program assessment, which also serves regional accreditation standards.
The role of ultrasound education in the changing landscape of healthcare, rural and otherwise, should not be underestimated. Didactic and clinical training that prioritizes advancements in technology and patient care education is a must if diagnostic imaging services are to realize their fullest potential to enhance the delivery of healthcare to communities. Highly skilled ultrasound experts right out of graduation are able to make immediate impact on diagnostics and treatment procedures. With the rapid pace of technological change and the rising need for medical services that employ technology, educational programs have a large role to play in creating medical providers who are technology and technological experts that are patient-focused.
Debbie McCollam
About the author: Debbie McCollam is a professor, R.T.(R)(M) at the Oregon Institute of Technology and the Medical Imaging Technology Department Chair.