National Park College (NPC) received a Shimadzu portable imaging machine from Baptist
Health. This equipment will be used in NPC’s Radiologic Technology program.
"Baptist Health Hot Spring County donated a Computed Radiography (CR) Portable Machine
to the Radiologic Technology Program in December of 2022. They had recently purchased
a new Digital Radiography (DR) portable machine for their department, and this Shimadzu
portable was going to be salvaged. Although the used Shimadzu portable machine was
not of great value to Baptist Health, it was a tremendous, acquired asset to us,”
said Program Director, Carla Kelley.
"When Missy Smith, the supervisor of the Medical Imaging department, offered the piece
of equipment to NPC we accepted her gracious gift without hesitation. The portable
machine used with the DR imaging plate we have in our laboratory can be utilized to
help students understand many concepts of portable imaging. These concepts can be
challenging to new students in particular,” said Clinical Coordinator, Kelly Stringer.
Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences, Janice Ivers said, “Radiologic Technologists
(Rad Techs) perform X-rays and other diagnostic imaging examinations on patients of
all ages, shapes, sizes, and health conditions. The NPC Radiologic Technology students
must be prepared for the workforce upon graduation because just like the other healthcare
disciplines there is a shortage of Rad Techs. Students in the program require extensive
hands-on practice with up-to-date equipment that mimics the real-world setting.”
“At NPC we are fortunate to have supportive clinical partners that recognize this
need and have provided funding as well as equipment to help us prepare our students
for the workforce. Baptist Health recognized they had some equipment that they were
not using and asked us if we could use it -- and of course, we were elated to accept
the offer. The donated portable X-ray machine allows a Rad Tech to obtain X-rays on
a patient that is possibly too fragile to be transported to the X-ray department,
so the Rad Tech would take the X-ray equipment to the patient. This may require going
to the emergency department or to the patient’s hospital room,” explained Ivers.
Ivers added, “Having this equipment in our simulation lab enables us to teach students
how to maneuver the machine through hallways and teach them how to position a patient
for the best X-ray images possible in what could be less than ideal circumstances.
Thank you, Baptist Health, for being our clinical partner and partnering with us to
educate the next generation of healthcare workers!”
