Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) announced on March 11 that it has received funding from two local donors to purchase two new ultrasound machines for its Diagnostic Medical Sonography Technology (DMS) lab.
The contributions are intended to help modernize the DMS program’s lab with advanced equipment, providing students access to technology used in major hospitals. Melinda Brillhart, EdD, DMS program director, said, "This is truly some of the most advanced technology available."
The three-year DMS program at COTC offers Ohio’s first and only accelerated bachelor’s degree in sonography and reports a 100% job placement rate for graduates. Brillhart said the program features "one of the largest sonography training labs in the nation in terms of square footage, amount of equipment and time spent in scan lab training. Here in Newark, Ohio, our students are getting the highest-quality sonography education there is."
Licking Memorial Health Systems (LMHS) contributed funds for a Philips Affiniti CVx system. LMHS CEO Rob Montagnese said, "That’s literally what we use at our facility. It’s important for us to make sure the technology these students see in their education is consistent with what our professionals use to take care of our community. This equipment prepares them to hit the ground running." According to Brillhart, nearly every sonographer at LMHS is an alum of COTC’s DMS program.
Sally Heckman, trustee of the Thomas J. Evans Foundation and CEO and president of First Federal Savings, helped donate almost $56,000 for a GE system. Heckman said, "These students get incredible exposure to real technology. It’s what sets COTC apart from so many of its peer institutions. We’re all going to benefit from their care — not just throughout our lives, but also our kids' and our grandkids' lives. Donating to the DMS lab was a really neat opportunity to grow our own community’s expertise."
