To the American College of Radiology (ACR):

We are calling on the American College of Radiology to take a closer look at CT staffing practices and provide clearer recommendations to help ensure patient safety in hospitals and imaging departments across the country.

Understaffing in medical imaging is a growing concern for technologists who are expected to manage increasingly demanding workloads with limited support. In many departments, a single CT technologist may be responsible for emergency, inpatient, and outpatient examinations while also managing patient transfers, contrast administration, image quality, radiation safety, and other essential responsibilities. When multiple patients require attention at the same time, the lack of adequate staffing can create situations in which it becomes difficult to safely meet every patient's needs.

CT is not simply a matter of positioning a patient and obtaining images. Many patients require hands-on assistance, particularly those who are elderly, critically ill, confused, uncooperative, or at risk of falling. Some patients cannot safely transfer onto the scanner table without additional help. Others may require close monitoring or immediate assistance during an examination. When a technologist is working alone, these responsibilities can become overwhelming, especially when an emergency arises while another patient is already receiving care.

The problem becomes even more concerning in departments with multiple CT scanners. Having more than one scanner does not eliminate the need for adequate staffing. If one technologist is occupied with a complex patient or an emergency examination, there may be no immediately available colleague to assist with another patient or respond to a second urgent situation. Staffing decisions must account for the actual demands of the department, not simply the number of technologists needed to keep the scanners running.

These concerns are not about convenience or a preference for lighter workloads. They are about providing safe patient care, preventing avoidable injuries, maintaining diagnostic image quality, and allowing technologists to perform their duties without being placed in situations where competing responsibilities may compromise safety.

Technologists should not have to rely on last-minute assistance, hope that another department has someone available, or struggle to manage situations that reasonably require additional personnel. Nurses, transport staff, and other healthcare professionals can be essential members of the care team, but their availability and responsibilities vary. Staffing plans should not assume that help will always be immediately available when an unexpected situation arises.

We are asking the ACR to give greater attention to the practical realities of CT staffing and the challenges faced by technologists working in understaffed environments. Although staffing needs vary by facility, patient population, and department workload, clearer guidance would help hospitals evaluate whether their staffing arrangements adequately support safe imaging practices.

We respectfully ask the American College of Radiology to:

Establish clearer CT staffing recommendations that address the demands of emergency, inpatient, and outpatient imaging, including departments operating multiple scanners.
Clarify staffing considerations for high-risk situations, including patient transfers, patients with altered mental status, contrast administration, and simultaneous emergency cases.
Address the risks of routinely assigning one technologist to an entire CT department when the workload and patient-care responsibilities require additional assistance.
Encourage hospitals to evaluate staffing based on patient acuity, examination volume, available support, and the actual clinical demands of the department, rather than relying solely on minimum coverage needed to maintain operations or how many patients are done within a certain amount of time, as no two patients are the same. 
Promote safe reporting practices that allow technologists to raise staffing and patient-safety concerns without fear of retaliation.
Provide guidance that helps hospitals prioritize patient safety over staffing reductions, ensuring that operational and budgetary decisions do not leave technologists without the support necessary to care for their patients safely.
Radiologic technologists are essential members of the healthcare team. They work hard to provide timely, accurate diagnostic imaging while protecting patients and maintaining professional standards. However, even highly skilled professionals cannot safely manage every situation alone. Appropriate staffing is an important part of a safe working environment and a reliable healthcare system.

We recognize that the ACR may not be able to mandate a universal staffing ratio for every CT department. Nevertheless, clearer recommendations and stronger attention to staffing-related safety concerns could help facilities make more informed decisions and establish safer working conditions.

Patients deserve safe imaging. Technologists deserve adequate support. And hospitals should not have to wait for a preventable injury or serious incident before addressing staffing concerns.

We urge the American College of Radiology to review this issue, strengthen its guidance where appropriate, and help bring greater attention to CT staffing practices that support both patient safety and quality care.

Please support this petition and call for clearer, safety-focused CT staffing recommendations.