A new permit in the state of Louisiana was approved, making it easier for urgent care facilities to use X-ray machines. The Occupational Licensing Review Commission held their last meeting Wednesday to discuss approval of a limited X-ray machine operating permit in The Pelican State. Valerie Bargas, representing the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board, said that this idea came about because of a high demand for fully licensed radiologic technologists, which operate the machines at hospital facilities. Bargas explained that ultimately at a big medical institution a patient is going to be analyzed by a radiologic technologist. If they go to a smaller location like a private physician office or an urgent care clinic, at the most they’ll have a private radiologic technologist who operates under the license physician not under their own radiologic technologist license given by the board. The board noticed that urgent care clinics are becoming more and more prevalent and need to be able to do imaging. Businesses like this need physicians onsite, given the practice is under their license, to make sure the machine operators are supervised and properly qualified. “It’s not akin to taking your iPhone and taking a photograph. It requires someone with skill and proper training,” Bargas said. Bargas went further saying if an operator manipulates an extremity in the wrong way they can actually permanently injure the nerves or some of the joints. However, there is rarely a physician in house on any given day at an urgent care, usually only making themselves available via zoom or by necessity. Additionally, there are not enough radiologic technologists in the state, making it expensive and not economically feasible for each urgent care to have one. So, the board did research into 33 other states where they have permits and a curriculum to train limited radiologic technologists. The board is currently looking into building a curriculum for Louisiana. This permit allows the limited radiologic technologist’s to operate under and be trained by a licensed radiologic technologist in order to gain the permit. Essentially, this makes it easier for someone to learn one section of the body at a time and in a professional capacity without needing the lengthy schooling. Bargas said in most cases, this can also be a path for the limited radiologic technologist’s to become actual radiologic technologist’s, especially for those who cannot afford the expensive education. This permit was approved with very little pushback from the commission.