ASTRO awards grants towards radiation therapist programs
The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology has announced that it has awarded $32,800 in grants to 10 institutions to help support radiation therapist training programs.
The grant program has been created to facilitate accredited radiation therapy technology training programs with additional funds to help bolster enrollment and defray the cost of educational materials and distance-based learning initiatives. ASTRO says that the impetus behind the grants is to help radiation therapists who are essential parts of the radiation oncology treatment team.
“This program is a great way for ASTRO to ensure that our members have the talented staff they need to treat the cancer patients we all work so hard to cure,” said John Kresl, MD, PhD, chair of Workforce Committee, ASTRO, and radiation oncologist at Arizona Oncology Services and St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. “The field of radiation oncology has experienced a workforce shortage in recent years and ASTRO has attempted to stem that by offering many funding opportunities each year, including this grant,” Kresl said.
The institutions receiving grants include:
The grant program has been created to facilitate accredited radiation therapy technology training programs with additional funds to help bolster enrollment and defray the cost of educational materials and distance-based learning initiatives. ASTRO says that the impetus behind the grants is to help radiation therapists who are essential parts of the radiation oncology treatment team.
“This program is a great way for ASTRO to ensure that our members have the talented staff they need to treat the cancer patients we all work so hard to cure,” said John Kresl, MD, PhD, chair of Workforce Committee, ASTRO, and radiation oncologist at Arizona Oncology Services and St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. “The field of radiation oncology has experienced a workforce shortage in recent years and ASTRO has attempted to stem that by offering many funding opportunities each year, including this grant,” Kresl said.
The institutions receiving grants include:
- Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Ga.;
- Aultman Hospital in Canton, Ohio;
- Manhattan College in New York;
- Radiation Therapy Services, Inc., in Fort Meyers, Fla.;
- University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb.;
- Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, Maine;
- Radiation Therapy at Buffalo in Buffalo, N.Y.;
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago;
- Erie Community College in Erie, Pa.; and
- Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute in Little Rock, Ark..