In a heartfelt ceremony filled with pride, perseverance, and purpose, the 2025 graduating class of the Mills-Peninsula Medical Center’s Diagnostic Imaging Program took center stage to mark the end of a rigorous, two-year journey. With cheers from family, faculty, and community leaders, this class of radiologic technologists is now poised to join a vital and growing workforce in healthcare.
This year’s graduation also marked a pivotal milestone: Sutter Health is more than doubling the size of its Diagnostic Imaging Program, tripling the cohort size to 20 students moving forward. This comes as demand for imaging professionals’ surges across California and beyond.
“For more than 60 years, the Peninsula has trained imaging professionals, and thanks to your recent investment to double the size of this program, that legacy will continue to grow,” said Assemblymember Diane Papan. “It improves patient care, addresses a statewide workforce gap, and offers individuals and families access to a stable, meaningful career.”
Offered tuition-free, thanks to Sutter Health and philanthropic support from the Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation, the program provides students with intensive classroom instruction in anatomy, physiology, math, physics, and radiographic science, along with early and ongoing hands-on clinical training. Graduates leave the program eligible to sit for the national board exam administered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and are licensed to practice in California upon passing.
Michael Lopez, a dietary aide at Sutter’s Mills-Peninsula Medical Center for more than 10 years and this year’s class speaker, reflected on the intensity and value of the program. “It was excruciating, but I feel prepared with everything I need to know,” he said. “The teachers were like family, though. It wasn’t like a machine. It was hard—but it was worth it.”
Michael Lopez and Corey Aldridge share a photo following their graduation ceremony.
Lopez, who addressed his fellow graduates during the ceremony, also had simple advice for future students considering the program: “Just do it. I’m so glad I did it.”
Corey Aldridge, a former EMT who received the Award of Excellence, echoed the sentiment. “It was grueling, but there were dedicated personnel,” he said. “I worked in healthcare before, but now I have more training and from the best teachers.”
Cynthia Payne, PhD, the program’s director, praised the class and shared her enthusiasm about the future. “We prepare students for entry-level employment, but there are numerous job opportunities, and the ladder for advancement is strong,” she said. “We teach professionalism, clinical judgment, and compassion—all essential qualities in today’s healthcare system.”
As graduates move into careers that support diagnostic services like X-rays, CT scans, and fluoroscopy, their work will continue to touch thousands of lives. And with the newly expanded class size, even more students will be given the opportunity to answer the call to care.
“The future of healthcare looks a little brighter today because of you,” Assemblymember Papan told the graduates. “Please continue to serve our community—you have hearts full of purpose.”
