UPMC and HACC Partner to Help Individuals Pursue a Rewarding Career as Imaging Technologists

June 3, 2024

HARRISBURG, Pa. – UPMC, central Pennsylvania’s leading healthcare provider, and HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, Pennsylvania’s first and largest community college, have teamed up to support individuals who want to pursue careers as computed tomography (CT) technologists, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologists and radiologic technologists.

• CT technologists specialize in operating CT scanners to produce cross-sectional images of patients' internal organs and tissues.
• MRI technologists operate MRI scanners using sophisticated magnetic fields and powerful radio frequencies to produce highly detailed images of the inside of the human body, including the human brain, spinal cord, nerves, muscles, ligaments and tendons.
• Radiologic technologists, also known as radiographers, perform general radiographic services using X-ray and other equipment to create images of the human body, which physicians use to make a medical diagnosis.

CT and MRI technologists are specialized radiologic technologists and require certification as a radiologic technologist before pursuing additional education.

Through the UPMC Scholars Program, HACC graduates who complete these programs and are hired by UPMC will receive payments each pay period in addition to their salary that will equal the full cost of the program. Depending on the program, these payments will be received during their first three or four years of employment. In return, HACC graduates will agree to a two-year work commitment at UPMC in Central Pa.

Students who participate in the UPMC Scholars Program may also have the opportunity to work in a paid position at UPMC while pursuing their education. With a variety of full- and part-time positions available, HACC students can gain healthcare experience, potentially in their field of choice, while they complete their studies.

“HACC is proud of our ongoing partnership with UPMC. The UPMC Scholars Program is one more example of how mutually beneficial our partnership is, for this opportunity will not only reimburse HACC students for the cost of their education, it will also provide an educated and committed workforce to one of the area’s largest healthcare providers. We look forward to our HACC graduates continuing to change lives in Central Pennsylvania and beyond at UPMC and its affiliates,” said HACC President and CEO John J. “Ski” Sygielski, MBA, Ed.D.

"Supporting students as they pursue education in healthcare careers is a top priority at UPMC," said David Gibbons, senior vice president, Health Services Division, and president, Regional Market, UPMC. "Our partnership with HACC increases access to a high-quality healthcare education for students pursuing careers in radiologic technology. We are eager to welcome them to our UPMC facilities for clinical training and paid positions while they are in school, and as permanent members of our healthcare teams once they graduate."

HACC’s fall 2024 classes begin Aug. 26, 2024. To learn more about HACC’s programs, please visit hacc.edu/Programs.

To learn about the UPMC Scholars Program, please contact Scholars@UPMC.edu.