Tracey Ison joins faculty at HCTC, plans to lead new nuclear medicine imaging program

Published on Jan 31, 2025

Hazard Community & Technical College (HCTC) recently announced its new nuclear medicine imaging program, the only of its kind in the state. Tracey Ison has joined the faculty at HCTC to lead the program.

"It's exciting to be part of the only nuclear medicine program in the state. It isn't offered anywhere else, and that's created a big need in the field for employees," Ison said. "There is no one to fill the positions of those retiring."

As she takes this position, Ison brings with her two decades of experience.

"I started my professional journey in Lexington, and I worked locally in that region for a while. I did my clinicals there. I worked in hospitals and outpatient clinics there, and there were a lot of different things," she said. "I plan to use my connections in the medical field to help our students. My experience includes working across eastern Kentucky, including Harlan, Ashland and Hazard."  

Ison first entered the medical field as a radiography student but found herself attending a nuclear medicine program at a community college in Lexington. She completed her two-year program there and later cross-trained as a sonographer.

"Nuclear medicine imaging is closely related to radiography and sonography but stands apart as a distinctive field," Ison said. "For professionals in these areas, this program offers a chance to broaden their expertise. Multimodality — the ability to perform multiple imaging tasks — is highly valued in today's imaging landscape."

Additionally, Ison said the program provides an opportunity to enter a high-demand, high-paying career field.

"You can pretty much name where you want to work in nuclear medicine because the need is so great," she said. "As a single parent, nuclear medicine offered me the opportunity to work a dayshift job with great pay. There are many dayshift jobs open in the field, including at outpatient clinics and in other settings."

Ison finished by articulating her vision for the future of the program and the region.

"By keeping our young professionals local for their training, we can meet an important workforce need across our region and state. We can fill rural vacancies and make the processes easier for employers because they'll have a larger pool of employees to work for them," she said. "By increasing the workforce, we can help reduce the amount of time spent on call by creating evening or weekend shifts, expanding the schedule for outpatient services and reducing patients' wait times."

As HCTC welcomes its first cohort of nuclear medicine imaging students, the college is setting a new standard for innovation and opportunity in healthcare education. Those interested in taking the first step toward this career path are encouraged to act quickly, as the inaugural class is expected to fill fast.

For more information or to apply, email Tracey Ison at tison0067@kctcs.edu or call (606) 487-3266. Applications close May 1, and classes begin in Fall 2025.