The Importance of Radiologic Technology During COVID-19

With everything that has happened this year, it is so important to celebrate every chance we get. National Radiologic Technology Week begins on November 8th and marks the 125^th anniversary of the x-ray discovery by Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen.

Radiologic technologists (RTs), medical imaging, and radiation therapy professionals play a vital role in patient care and healthcare safety. Primarily responsible for capturing diagnostic images, these healthcare heroes provide radiologists, primary care physicians, and various other specialists with the critical information they need to treat and diagnose patients.

Rad Techs’ Role During the Pandemic

It is important to look at how RTs and other Allied healthcare workers are impacted during the pandemic. Without genuinely knowing everything rad techs and other medical imaging professionals are involved in, one might assume that they wouldn’t be as closely affected by the pandemic, but that would be incorrect. RTs spend a lot of time taking images of patients’ broken bones, masses, or tumors, and now even more so with COVID-19, they have been inundated with patients needing images of their lungs.

Since COVID-19 is a respiratory virus that is particularly damaging to the lungs of many patients, RTs have been on the frontlines of the pandemic. And like all frontline healthcare workers in hotspot areas around the country, patient volumes and the stress of exposure to the virus can take its toll.

During the pandemic, much has been made about how hospitals, healthcare facilities, and medical practices have ramped up their utilization of telehealth applications in an effort to continue to treat patients with non-urgent conditions. For the medical imaging community, a similar situation has occurred. Health systems ramped up the availability of mobile and portable imaging systems to increase the ability to capture diagnostic images both inside and outside of healthcare facilities.

Similarly, the FDA provided guidance to help expand the availability and capability of medical x-ray, ultrasound, and MRI systems and associated software. While the regulatory changes are only expected to be in place throughout the duration of the health crisis, it has undoubtedly helped mitigate circumstances that could lead to exposure to COVID-19.

Celebrating Radiologic Technology Week

This week, November 8^th through November 14^th, we should all celebrate Radiologic Technology Week with our healthcare professionals. Not only for the tireless work they are doing during the pandemic but for the vital work they do for patients every day.

Rad Tech Jobs

If you are considering a career as a radiologic or MRI technologist, you would be choosing wisely. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in this field are expected to grow 7% over the next ten years, faster than the average for all occupations.

If you are already working as a Radiology Tech, CT Tech, Ultrasound /Sonographer, X-Ray – Mammo RT, or Cath Lab/CIVI RT, Supplemental Health Care wants to hear from you! We currently have opportunities available across the country, for both local contracts and travel opportunities. Reach out to one of our recruitment professionals today and discover why we were voted “Best of Staffing Talent Satisfaction” again in 2020.