In 1908, philanthropy efforts by Elisabeth Mills Reid created what is now Sutter Health's Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame. But Reid's efforts didn't stop there. Throughout her life, she also founded schools to help train nurses. In 1963, Mills-Peninsula followed her lead and founded the tuition-free, School of Diagnostic Imaging where most of the hundreds of graduates to date have been women.
Radiological technicians perform X-rays, computed tomography scans, magnetic resonance imaging scans, ultrasounds, and more types of scans. Payne says the services are currently in high demand throughout the medical world. 'There is a big shortage across the country of technologists,' she said. Women play a significant role in the field. 'Men don't do mammography,' Payne said. 'Mammography is a big deal for screening purposes to prevent advanced stages of breast cancer.