Hospitals struggle to respond to the technologist shortage

Ridgecrest Community Hospital, a 72-bed hospital in rural California, uses a head-hunter to recruit high-technology technicians. This unusual measure is an attempt to ease the growing shortage of radiologists, sonographers, and others who operate expensive, sophisticated hospital equipment. Other hospitals are increasing salaries and modifying technologists' jobs to respond to the shortage. Hospitals report average vacancies of up to 21 percent for some high-technology positions, according to the Washington, DC-based Summit on Manpower, a coalition of 17 high-technology health professional associations.