Butler County Community College to launch new radiologic technology career program next year

Butler County Community College will launch a new radiologic technology career program in August 2027 to address a high-priority worker shortage in Pennsylvania.

The program will feature a simulated X-ray laboratory on the college’s main campus using imaging equipment donated by Butler Memorial Hospital.

The initiative comes as the health care industry faces significant vacancies for radiologic technologists, with national vacancy rates near historic highs, officials say.

“It is really critical to prepare students for the real-world environment that they’ll be soon practicing in,” Matthew Schnur, president of Butler Memorial and Clarion hospitals, said. “Whatever steps we can take to collaborate with our friends at BC3, including donating equipment, furthers us along that path so students are that much more prepared.”

The new lab will be housed within the Radiologic Technology Education Center, expanding the simulation capabilities of the college’s existing nursing and allied health facilities.

The Radiologic Technology Education Center will occupy 1,200 square feet and cost $100,000 to construct.

Construction on the new center is scheduled to begin in early March. A massage therapy lab will be relocated to accommodate the simulated X-ray lab.

Butler Memorial Hospital provided decommissioned devices to create the simulated environment within the Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building.

“Their generosity of donating the equipment speaks volumes and is reflective of a true partnership,” College President Megan M. Coval said. “Investing in our students is an investment in the future of their workforce and in the well-being of our entire community.”

Students will complete 69 credits, including 1,200 hours of clinical training with Butler Memorial Hospital and other providers. The curriculum covers radiographic physics, trauma, surgery and other imaging procedures.

The lab training will utilize an X-ray machine, a medical imaging device called an upright bucky and an imaging table, officials say.

Prospective students can apply for the program between Aug. 1 and Dec. 1 for the inaugural class starting in August 2027. The college expects to select approximately 15 students for the first group.

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