The funding for the new lab technology comes from Licking Memorial Health Systems and the Thomas J. Evans Foundation.
Central Ohio Technical College has received funding to purchase new ultrasound machines for its Diagnostic Medical Sonography Technology laboratory. The funding comes from Licking Memorial Health Systems and the Thomas J. Evans Foundation. The new equipment will help the program’s students earn their bachelor degrees and prepare for careers as sonographers, having trained on the same equipment being used in the region’s health systems.
According to an article on Central Ohio Technical College’s website, Melinda Brillhart, EdD, who is the DMS program director, was quoted as saying of the technology being purchased with this funding, “This is truly some of the most advanced technology available.” She added of the college’s Diagnostic Medical Sonography Technology Lab, “[it is] one of the largest sonography training labs in the nation in terms of square footage, amount of equipment and time spent in scan lab training. Here in Newark, Ohio, our students are getting the highest-quality sonography education there is.”
The new technology includes a Philips Affiniti CVx system and a GE system. These machines are what are used in hospital systems and will ensure program graduates are adept at using the most up-to-date equipment. Licking Memorial Health Systems is one of the largest employers of Central Ohio Technical College Diagnostic Medical Sonography Technology students. Brillhart notes that nearly all of the sonographers within the health system are graduates of the program.
Rob Montagnese, the CEO of Licking Memorial Health Systems, said of the Philips Affiniti CVx system, “That’s literally what we use at our facility. It’s important for us to make sure the technology these students see in their education is consistent with what our professionals use to take care of our community. This equipment prepares them to hit the ground running.”
The other donation comes from the Thomas J. Evans Foundation, with trustee Sally Heckman saying, “These students get incredible exposure to real technology. It’s what sets COTC apart from so many of its peer institutions. We’re all going to benefit from their care — not just throughout our lives, but also our kids’ and our grandkids’ lives. Donating to the DMS lab was a really neat opportunity to grow our own community’s expertise.”
For more information about Central Ohio Technical College, visit the school’s website.