What You Should Know:
- The Deal: GE HealthCare and UCSF Health have signed a 10-year “Care Alliance.” This co-developed enterprise program integrates advanced imaging technology across the California health system’s multiple clinical settings.
- The Infrastructure: The alliance arrives at a pivotal moment, as UCSF Health is simultaneously building two “hospitals of the future”—an adult care facility at Parnassus Heights and a pediatric facility at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.
- The Clinical Tech: The partnership specifically focuses on advancing remote scanning support to increase patient accessibility and driving Magnetic Resonance (MR) excellence through optimized protocols and integrated service management.
- The Workforce Play: Acknowledging the severe industry-wide staffing shortages, the alliance includes a specialized Radiologic Technologist (rad tech) education program, combining hands-on clinical training with peer-to-peer mentoring to accelerate the readiness of new talent.
Powering the “Hospitals of the Future”
The alliance comes at a critical juncture for UCSF Health. The organization is in the midst of a massive capital project, simultaneously building a new adult care hospital at Parnassus Heights and a new pediatric care center at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.
Designing these facilities requires placing long-term bets on clinical infrastructure. Through this partnership, GE HealthCare will help integrate advanced imaging capabilities directly into the DNA of these new hospitals.
A primary focus will be Magnetic Resonance (MR) excellence. The two organizations will work together to optimize imaging protocols and integrate service management, ensuring that MR imaging is consistent, high-quality, and standardized across the entire UCSF network.
Furthermore, the alliance aims to push imaging beyond the traditional hospital basement. By advancing remote scanning support, UCSF intends to bring complex procedures to patients when and where they need them, reducing access barriers in the community.
Solving the “Rad Tech” Shortage
The most sophisticated MRI machine in the world is a multi-million-dollar paperweight if you don’t have a qualified technician to operate it. Nationwide, hospitals are struggling with a severe shortage of Radiologic Technologists (rad techs). Recognizing that technology requires human capital, the Care Alliance incorporates a major workforce development component.
Tying into UCSF Health’s existing Career Pathways Initiative (supported by Crankstart, Tipping Point Community, and the Ignite Fund), GE HealthCare will help deepen a specialized rad tech education program. The initiative utilizes a peer-to-peer immersion model, allowing experienced technologists to mentor and accelerate the training of emerging talent.
“Our Care Alliance with UCSF Health reflects a shared commitment to improving outcomes for patients,” said Catherine Estrampes, president and CEO, U.S. and Canada at GE HealthCare. “UCSF Health’s global reputation in academics, research, education, and patient care makes them a valued long-term academic partner, and this co-developed enterprise program builds on a strong foundation of collaboration and trust.”
