The American Society of Radiologic Technologists would like to personally thank Sens. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., for their work in introducing the Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2024.

The MARCA bill will ensure that all services provided by a radiologist assistant, supervised by a radiologist as part of a radiologist-led team, receive Medicare reimbursement, regardless of the setting in which the radiology service is provided.

The United States is currently experiencing a major shortage of medical imaging professionals. As such, it is vital for the nation to promote the value of medical imaging professionals and their role in providing patients with high-quality, safe care.

“The RA role is a career pathway for medical imaging professionals. It is critical that obstacles are removed to provide this essential health care professional with career advancement opportunities,” said ASRT CEO and Executive Director Melissa B. Pergola, Ed.D., R.T.(R)(M), FASRT, CAE.

Radiologic technology education program directors report the number of new students enrolled increased compared to 2023, according to the American Society of Radiologic Technologists Enrollment Enrollment Snapshot 2024.

Conducted annually, the survey highlights entering class enrollments, student capacity and program data that measures past trends, attrition and viability rates.

The 2024 survey results show that the number of enrolled radiography students increased, with an estimated 19,815 students entering American Registry of Radiologic Technologists-approved radiography programs, up from 17,679 in 2023.

Student enrollment in ARRT-approved radiation therapy programs is estimated at 1,663 students in 2024, up from 1,302 in 2023.

Nuclear medicine technology program enrollments also increased, with an estimated 1,403 students enrolling in 2024, up from 903 in 2023.

For the third consecutive year, the survey tracked enrollments in sonography and magnetic resonance imaging programs. In 2024, an estimated 5,511 students enrolled in ARRT-recognized sonography programs, up from 3,144 in 2023. And MR imaging programs enrolled an average of 1,004 students, an increase from 555 in 2023.

“The increases in enrollment are consistent with the high vacancy rates that we've seen in our recent staffing surveys. Through the presidential initiatives of Heather Moore, Ph.D., R.T.(R), ASRT is continuing to take action that raises visibility and increases the pipeline into the medical imaging and radiation therapy profession,” said Melissa Culp, M.Ed., R.T.(R)(MR), ASRT executive vice president of member engagement.

ASRT sent the survey to 1,263 directors of radiography, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine technology, sonography and MR imaging programs currently approved by the ARRT. By the close of the survey in early November, ASRT received 412 responses, yielding an overall response rate of 32.6%. This sample size yields a ±4.0% margin of error at its widest for overall percentages at the 95% confidence level. The ASRT began conducting the survey in 2001.

Enrollment Snapshot 2024

The American Society of Radiologic Technologists is seeking qualified ASRT members interested in volunteer positions on the Practice Standards Council Modality Subcommittees, Scanner Editorial Advisory Panel and Committee on the Student to Leadership Development Program.

The duties, qualifications and time commitments required for these openings are available through the links below:

Please contact ASRT Volunteer Services at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

To see all current positions available, visit the Open Volunteer Opportunities page.

The American Society of Radiologic Technologists has donated $5,000 to the American Red Cross to assist with wildfire disaster relief efforts in the greater Los Angeles area. The donation is being made on behalf of ASRT’s 156,000 members.

"The wildfires in the Los Angeles area are unprecedented and communities are in need of immediate support," said ASRT President Heather Moore, Ph.D., R.T.(R). "ASRT’s Red Cross donation will go toward helping Californians get assistance during this extremely difficult period."

ASRT currently has nearly 2,500 members who live and work in the greater Los Angeles area.

The Red Cross is working with its partners on the ground to mobilize relief supplies and disaster workers and is coordinating with local and state officials to support people in need.

"We need to remember that medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals in Los Angeles continue to provide care for individuals affected by this horrible tragedy, and they also have to manage their own lives as area residents,” said ASRT CEO and Executive Director Melissa B. Pergola, Ed.D., R.T.(R)(M), FASRT, CAE. "As a result, we want to provide as much support as possible for our members, their families and the community."

If you have been affected by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area and need assistance with ASRT membership and benefits, please call ASRT Member Services at 1-800-444-2778 from 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mountain time, Monday-Friday.

The American Society of Radiologic Technologists is coleading two workgroups and leading one workgroup to create action plans to increase the medical imaging and radiation therapy workforce and promote the profession.

The ASRT-led consensus committee workgroups are focused on sustainable action to address workforce shortages by defining the levels and roles for each step in the career pathway for radiation therapy and medical dosimetry, and by creating intersocietal efforts that raise awareness of multiple roles within radiology and radiation oncology, including medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals, physicians and medical physicists.

The workgroups formed after the Consensus Committee on the Future of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy meeting, which was hosted by ASRT, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology in February 2024. The committee's work resulted in the White Paper from the 2024 Consensus Committee on the Future of medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, which outlines strategies to address the workforce shortage, strengthen the profession and build career pathways for professionals.

The ASRT-led consensus workgroups, include appointees from the ASRT, Advanced Practice Radiation Therapy Working Group, American Association of Medical Dosimetrists, American Association of Physicists in Medicine, American College of Radiology, ARRT, American Society for Radiation Oncology, Elekta, JRCERT, Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section, Society for Radiation Oncology Administrators and Varian.

"The level of buy-in from the supporting organizations has been truly inspiring," said ASRT CEO and Executive Director Melissa B. Pergola, Ed.D., R.T.(R)(M), FASRT, CAE.

The work is scheduled to occur in three phases with the first phase that addresses creating a project plan to tentatively be completed by June 1, 2025.