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Baker College of Jackson Announces Two New Technologically Advanced Labs

A new radiation therapy lab and a veterinary technology lab are now officially open and operating on the Baker College of Jackson campus.

“In today’s complex and highly technologically-driven world, it is imperative that our students are trained on the most advanced equipment available,” said Patricia A. Kaufman, Ed.D., Baker College of Jackson president. “We are thrilled that we are able to provide the new state-of-the-art labs and training tools for success.”

Radiation Therapy Lab
The new radiation therapy lab is designed to help Baker College of Jackson students develop into professional radiation therapists who demonstrate advanced technical competency, problem solving abilities, as well as superior patient care skills.

The new lab boasts the first Computed Tomography (CT) unit in the state of Michigan used solely for educational purposes. The GE HiSpeed™ CT scanner, provided by Accelatronics, Inc., is used to help create 3-D images of a phantom that the students will use to simulate the planning process for treating a cancer patient. The images are then sent to a sophisticated planning system that they will use to create a plan to treat their pseudo-patient.

An Eclipse Treatment Planning system by Varian™ allows the students to create a precise and accurate treatment plan, utilizing their knowledge of anatomy, physiology and physics. Next, the students will make digitally reconstruction radiographs (DRRs) that depict the treatment fields or “ports” used to treat the patient. The phantom is then moved to the Radiographic/Fluoroscopic Simulator for verification that the patient can be set up according to the plan the students created.

The Ximatron simulator, manufactured by Varian and provided by Accelatronics, is designed to simulate the mechanical and geometrical parameters of a Linear Accelerator, the actual machine used to treat cancer patients. Here students will demonstrate their patient positioning skills, create immobilization devices and simulate accurate and precise treatment.

The radiation therapy program at Baker College of Jackson is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT). It is the only agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit radiation therapy programs. JRCERT is located at 20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 2850, Chicago, Ill., 60606-3182.

Veterinary Technology Lab
The new vet tech lab houses a diagnostic area with five double-headed and five regular microscopes for student use. The double-headed microscope allows the instructors to see what the student is seeing at the same time. There is a blood chemistry lab with functional laboratory equipment to run blood work on shelter animals. The radiology lab is equipped with a functional radiology machine and automatic processor. Baker’s Jackson campus will perform spaying and neutering services for local animal shelters in its surgical suite. A central oxygen and scavenger system allows for the anesthesia to be utilized in several different areas of the lab. The Jackson campus works with Calhoun County and Jackson County animal shelters to provide various veterinary technology services. A prep room is the area used for induction of anesthesia, dental prophies and surgical pack maintenance. The treatment room has four stainless steel exam tables large enough for the students to accomplish many of their laboratory tasks. It also has a grooming bathtub for dirty animals. The kennel room has the capacity to accommodate up to nine animals. There are three large indoor runs, six smaller cages and an outdoor fenced-in dog walk area.