Atlantic Health System creates ‘tech schools’ at Overlook Medical Center, offering certification in high-demand positions

SUMMIT, NJ (Union County) – Atlantic Health System has created two “tech schools,” based at Overlook Medical Center, to allow existing team members to obtain radiological technologist certifications, or to become certified pharmacy technicians.

The programs are aimed at not only enriching the skills of Atlantic Health System’s own workforce, but also bolstering the number of team members at its hospitals who hold these certifications, which are in high demand in the health care field.

“Training our own team members gives us the dual advantages of having individuals who are already acclimated to our organization who are now simultaneously a whole new group of certified professionals that we can call upon when we are in need,”  said Lauren Yedvab, chief operating officer at Overlook. “This means we can put them into action sooner to provide care for our patients.”

Both “tech schools” involve classroom learning – provided through a partnership with Advanced Imaging Review and John Patrick University (radiologic), and the Therapeutic Research Center (pharmacy) – combined with hands-on clinical training, in which students are paired up with individuals within the specialty they are learning. The program concludes with exams reviewed and scored by professional credentialling organizations in each field – for radiology, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT); for pharmacy, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).

According to the federal Bureau of Labor and Statistics, employment of pharmacy technicians has been projected to grow 4 percent from 2019 to 2029, due in part to increased demand for prescription medications. Overall employment of radiologic and MRI technologists has been projected to grow 9 percent from 2020 to 2030, according to the bureau.

For the radiology school, applicants must be licensed with the state, registered with ARRT and are already trained as radiologic technologists. The students are then trained in CT-scanning, MRI and mammography, to achieve certifications in those specializations. The program ranges between 5 to 10 weeks, depending on the specialty. The goal is to train about 120 team members each year.

Anthony Mungo, director of radiology for Overlook Medical Center, who is leading the radiology tech school, said such programs, which he has led at other institutions he has worked at, are both a great employee retention tool and a boon for the health system.

“Through this program, we are making the multi-modality technologist,” said Mungo. “The versatility this training provides makes them more valuable in their field and gives Atlantic Health System greater flexibility to fulfill demand for these services.”

The pharmacy technician school, a 12-week program, also aims to fulfill a burgeoning demand, said Agnieszka Pasternak, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, manager for pharmacy services at Overlook, who is leading that program. The program is targeting team members with high school diplomas or the equivalent, currently serving in other occupations who may be seeking different careers with the potential for growth.