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Responding to increasing demand for radiology technologists, ExpressCare Urgent Care Centers in Maryland launched a new Limited X-Ray Machine Operator (LXMO) Program earlier this year and has now graduated its first 9 students. The program offers medical assistants with at least 1 year of experience at ExpressCare or Children’s Urgent Care the opportunity to earn certification and obtain Maryland Board of Physicians registration, according to a press release from LifeBridge Health. After successfully passing a radiography exam, graduates are qualified to perform limited x-ray studies of the extremities, chest, and spine. The release notes that Maryland is facing a shortage of radiologic technologists, with hospital vacancy rates estimated at 12%. The LXMO program takes 6-9 months to complete, and 4 additional students are on track to graduate in the next class of new radiology technologists.
Elsewhere: Across the nation, recent rulemaking at the state level has sought to address the shortage of radiology techs. For example, proposed legislation in Ohio would amend state law to explicitly authorize nurse practitioners and physician assistants to provide direct, on-site supervision for x-ray machine operators, rather than physicians, as policy stands now.
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- Benefits of Utilizing Limited-Scope X-Ray Techs in the Urgent Care Setting
- In Maryland, Supervised Staff Can Now Capture X-Rays