Bunker Hill Community College Receives Skills Capital Grant Award for Health Sciences
Thursday, February 16, 2023
Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) was awarded a $135,799 Massachusetts Skills Capital Grant for the College’s General Sonography and Cardiac Sonography Associate of Science degree programs, one of only two Cardiac Sonography degree programs in Greater Boston. This is Bunker Hill’s fourth Commonwealth Skills Capital Grant in the last five years.
BHCC’s Medical Imaging Program offers associate degrees in General Sonography and Cardiac Sonography, which can enroll a total of 48 students each academic year. One of several selective entry programs at BHCC, the Medical Imaging program provides students with the foundation of coursework, laboratory, and clinical experiences needed to succeed in this in-demand and highly competitive workforce.
The Medical Imaging program at BHCC includes concentrations in radiography, general sonography, and cardiac sonography– all of which encompass the training of diagnostic medical technologists who operate equipment, create images, and conduct tests in healthcare settings. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies medical sonography as a fast-growing field, with a national median wage of more than $36 per hour in 2021.
The Commonwealth Capital Skills grant will pay for two new ultrasound machines, which will better prepare students for their required clinical rotations and facilitate an easier transfer for students to the healthcare workforce after graduation. “This grant will help the College expand its ultrasound programs by 17% in available program slots,” said Maryanne Atkinson, BHCC Dean of Health Sciences. “The additional ultrasounds enabled by this grant-funded equipment will help BHCC provide predominantly low-income, first-generation, and woman majors in both programs with the up-to-date training they need to access and succeed in the sonography field.”
In 2017, BHCC received funding for its General Sonography and Cardiac Sonography degree program from the Skills Capital Grant program; this new grant is the seventh time BHCC was awarded funding for STEM-related degree programs.
Skills Capital Grants are awarded so educational institutions can purchase equipment needed to train students for in-demand professions; this helps Massachusetts meet its workforce needs across the state and maximize hiring. Since 2015, 538 grants totaling $204 million have been awarded through the Skills Capital Grant program.
Learn more about BHCC’s Medical Imaging Programs.