Rad Partners affiliate Desert Radiology works with university to strengthen talent pipeline
A Radiology Partners affiliate has teamed with a local university to bolster its talent pipeline.
Desert Radiology Chief Operating Officer Matt Grimes, MBA, earned his degree in radiography administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in 1996. Twenty years later when he joined the practice, one of his top priorities was reinstituting a collaboration allowing UNLV second-year radiography students to gain experience at DR facilities.
The university graduates about 24 students annually, with each able to complete clinical rotations at Desert Radiology, according to a UNLV news update published Wednesday.
“Having a partner like Desert Radiology, which is a very strong force in outpatient imaging, gives our students a better experience to work in a variety of settings like outpatient imaging, acute care hospitals, trauma centers, and other additional settings,” said Chad Hensley, PhD, director of UNLV’s radiography program.
The university’s Department of Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences has now been training techs and other front-line healthcare workers for over 50 years. Under the program, students complete rotations alongside technologists at Desert Radiology. Hensley believes the partnership is “paramount to producing highly skilled professionals ready to enter the workforce after graduation.”
The practice—which joined Rad Partners in 2019—also has donated equipment to UNLV, including a portable X-ray unit and C-arm fluoroscopy machine. Grimes has been encouraged by the reports he has heard from students taking part in the program.
“Having students here with our technologists fosters a very strong and loyal work environment,” Grimes said. “We’ve found that students who start with us are 20- to 30-year teammates. If they start out with us, they’re more likely to stay.”
Desert Radiology also was in the news last year after the practice ended its 57-year partnership with the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. Founded in 1966 under the name Taylor, Knudson & Lum, Desert Radiology now employs over 80 radiologists and 500 clinical and support teammates. It operates facilities across Las Vegas, Henderson and Pahrump, providing diagnostic and interventional radiology services to multiple Nevada hospitals, according to DesertRad.com.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.