USA – Siemens Healthineers and the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) are expanding their collaboration to provide high-quality training for radiologic technologists in underserved countries.
This initiative aims to address the critical need for skilled professionals who can operate imaging and radiation therapy equipment used for diagnosing and treating diseases like cancer and cardiovascular conditions.
These diseases already account for 74% of global deaths, with the majority of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.
Through this multiyear partnership, ASRT’s well-established curriculum and educational content will be made available for both foundational and advanced training.
The training will be accessible in both in-person and virtual formats, ensuring flexibility and broader reach.
ASRT, which has been a leader in the field for over a century, is the largest association for medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals globally.
Siemens Healthineers, with its presence in over 180 countries, will provide local expertise to adapt the training to meet regional needs and requirements.
This partnership builds on a long-standing 30-year collaboration, which included Siemens Healthineers as a founding member of the ASRT Foundation Corporate Roundtable and supporter of clinical advancement scholarships.
One of the first initiatives under this expanded partnership is the development of a specialized curriculum to train 50 radiographers from Ukraine.
This training will be delivered in a hybrid format, combining in-person sessions at the Siemens Healthineers Academy in Poland and online education over the next two years.
Hagen Weissapfel, head of Education and Service at Siemens Healthineers, emphasized the importance of workforce development, noting, “Too often in low-resource countries, medical equipment sits unused—often still in its original packaging—because no one is trained to use it. We recognize that skilled people are the backbone of any healthcare system, and that building workforce capacity is key.”
Healthcare systems worldwide are grappling with workforce shortages, but the gap is particularly severe in low- and middle-income countries.
For example, while high-income countries have 93 radiologists per million people, Sub-Saharan Africa has just two per million, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
To address this, Siemens Healthineers has committed to providing six million hours of training by 2030, as part of its sustainability targets announced last November.
Melissa Culp, head of Member Engagement at ASRT, also spoke to the significance of the partnership, stating, “ASRT’s mission is to advance and elevate the medical imaging and radiation therapy profession and to enhance the quality and safety of patient care.
With our colleagues at Siemens Healthineers, we are raising awareness of the profession, ensuring high standards of educational preparedness, and strengthening the workforce pipeline globally.”