UNLV Radiography Program Marked 65th Anniversary
The medical training program has helped address local technician shortages since 1961.
Updated on Sept. 27, 2026 in Nursing Jobs
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The UNLV radiography program has celebrated 65 years of training students for the local medical workforce. Since its approval by the Nevada Board of Regents in 1961, the program has graduated approximately 2,000 technologists to support healthcare facilities across the Las Vegas Valley.
Why it matters
The program remains vital to addressing the chronic shortage of X-ray technicians in Clark County. Local radiologists initially pushed for the curriculum to ensure medical facilities could adequately staff their diagnostic departments.
The program maintains a 100% five-year job placement rate for its graduating classes of about 26 students. Nevada reported 1,530 radiologic technologists in 2024, yet the state still needs 687 more to reach the national staffing average.
The players
UNLV
The university that hosts the radiography program.
Nevada Board of Regents
The governing body that officially authorized the radiography program in 1961.
Heidi Shelton
The current program director who completed her education at UNLV in 2003.
Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center
A local healthcare facility where students perform clinical rotations.
The details
Originally established as a two-year certificate course, the program now places students in clinical rotations at local medical facilities like Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center. Graduates consistently find work in the field, as evidenced by the program's long-term job placement metrics. The curriculum was designed to solve regional hiring gaps that continue to persist today.
Timeline
1960: Local radiologists first proposed the radiography program.
September 9, 1961: The Nevada Board of Regents approved the program.
2003: Program director Heidi Shelton attended UNLV.
2024: Nevada employment statistics for radiologic technologists were recorded.
September 2026: The program celebrated its 65th anniversary.
Beyond the Strip
The radiography program follows the precedent set by the 1961 Nevada Board of Regents approval to address regional medical staffing gaps. This milestone illustrates a decades-long effort to stabilize the valley's health workforce against ongoing technician shortages.
Students pursuing medical careers in the valley can look to this program as a proven pathway into a stable field with consistent demand. Those requiring imaging services at facilities like Sunrise Hospital should be aware that the staff assisting them are often products of this local training.
The takeaway
The program has successfully maintained a 100% job placement rate, reinforcing its status as a critical pipeline for local hospitals. Watch for future enrollment updates from UNLV to see how the department plans to address the growing state-wide need for hundreds of new technologists.
Further reading
For more on local healthcare career training and workforce initiatives, visit the Nursing Jobs section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Las Vegas Sun.
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