Ivy Tech could train workers for facility

Herald-Times Report

A new two-year degree program in radiation therapy technology at Ivy Tech State College could help train employees for the newly opened Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute in Bloomington.

The regional board of trustees for Ivy Tech-Bloomington recently gave its support to adding two new associate of science degree programs at the college - one in radiation therapy technology and the other in respiratory care.

"This is a great opportunity for new careers for students in the 21st century," said Connie Ferguson, a Bloomington resident and a member of the Ivy Tech regional board. "Statistics show that radiation therapy technology and respiratory care jobs will be in high demand in the future, and developing this specialized work force will be good for everyone."

The degrees must be approved by the state Ivy Tech board of trustees and by the Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education before the campus can begin to offer the program.

The proposed radiation therapy technology degree would prepare students for careers in radiological technology, while the respiratory care program would prepare students to be respiratory technicians. Both degrees could be pathways to four-year college degrees in health-related areas.

Ivy Tech officials said the degree programs were proposed in response to requests from area health-care providers, including Bloomington Hospital and the proton therapy institute at Indiana University. Officials at the proton therapy center said recruiting qualified staff is an important part of the ability of the facility to expand its operations.

"We need to recruit additional personnel: radiation therapists, medical physicists" and those trained to measure radiation exposure, said Allan Thornton, medical director of the center. "It's a tough field to get staffing for."