For the past few years the number of vacancies in the imaging sciences profession has remained high. The American Society of Radiologic Technologists or ASRT recently released their survey regarding this very topic. ASRT emailed over 18,000 department managers, while they received a 2.6% response rate, the information they gathered is eye opening.

The analysis noted that “Although a few imaging disciplines have seen modest declines in their vacancy rate since the prior iteration of the survey in 2023, most vacancy rates remain at or near all time highs.” A few of the numbers that stood out to me were CT up from 17.7% to 19.4%, MRI up from 16.2% to 17.4% and Bone Densitometry up from 6.9% to 16.3%!

The AHEC Foundation Board has been watching these numbers and surveys very closely. Truth be told, it was the reason the AHEC Foundation was established! Our founding partner, Marilyn Sackett, recognized the critical shortage of qualified mammography professionals so she along with the support of AHEC educators and management launched a pilot program in partnership with AHEC through the GROW! Mammography Scholarship in 2023.

Since that initial conversation two years ago, the GROW! Mammography Scholarship has trained eight new mammographers working in three different states. This scholarship covers all costs for the technologist training including class and travel expenses. These technologists then return to their home town and go on to make a difference by advancement in their careers and for the patients and communities they serve!

The success of the pilot program demonstrated the profound impact of structured training support and led to the establishment of the AHEC Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of healthcare professionals through education, mentorship, and hands on training.

We can all agree that the increase in vacancy rates outlined in the 2025 ASRT survey is concerning not only to our fellow imaging professionals but also for the impact it has on patient care. One of the goals for the AHEC Foundation is to expand our training scholarship opportunities into CT, MRI, and Bone Densitometry. If you would like more information on our scholarships or to help support this mission with a donation, please call us during normal business hours at 713-596-9770 or visit our website at http://www.ahecfoundation.org.