New Nuclear Medicine Program Expands Local Health Career Pipeline

Hazard Community & Technical College announced in 2025 a new Nuclear Medicine Imaging program designed to meet growing workforce needs across southeastern Kentucky. The program combines classroom instruction in anatomy, nuclear physics and patient care with hands-on clinical training, and was identified by college notices as the only program of its type in Kentucky at the time of the announcement.

Local health systems and clinics have struggled with shortages of imaging technologists, a gap that affects diagnostic capacity for conditions from cardiac disease to cancer. By training technologists regionally, the program aims to bolster staffing at hospitals and outpatient centers and reduce delays in diagnostic testing that can compound health disparities in rural communities.

Beyond immediate workforce supply, the program represents an expansion of local training capacity that can change educational and economic options for Perry County residents. Students who previously had to relocate or travel long distances to complete specialized imaging education will now be able to pursue those credentials closer to home. That access can lower financial barriers, reduce debt pressures and make healthcare careers more attainable for people from low-income households and underrepresented groups.

The curriculum is set up to integrate technical knowledge with patient-centered care, reflecting the dual demands of nuclear medicine practice: precise imaging skills and safe interaction with patients undergoing often stressful diagnostic procedures. Faculty and hiring notices associated with the program outline goals for competency-based training and describe steps toward accreditation, indicating the college is building the administrative and clinical partnerships necessary for graduates to qualify for professional certification and employment.

Clinical placements will be a central component, with students receiving supervised experience in real-world settings. Those placements are intended to strengthen ties between the college and regional healthcare providers, creating a pipeline that can help hospitals recruit locally trained staff.

Prospective students and community members seeking more information or application details can contact Hazard Community & Technical College through the program announcement page at hazard.kctcs.edu/news/2025/20250127-hctc-nuclear-medicine-program.aspx. As the program develops, its success will hinge on sustained collaboration between educators, clinical partners and policymakers to ensure the region’s health systems and patients both benefit from an expanded, locally rooted workforce.