A rising demand for specialized medical diagnostics has spurred the addition of a new program at Cape Fear Community College, the college announced Tuesday.

CFCC has just received approval from The N.C. Board of Community Colleges to offer a one-year cardiovascular sonography program, which will prepare students to become certified in echocardiography, according to a news release from the college.

Kellee Stacks, CFCC’s lead sonography instructor, said in the release that the college chose to develop the program based on input from various health providers in the region and from national employment data. She added that the need for more qualified echocardiographers is being driven significantly by the growing population of older adults, who typically require increased medical services.

Stacks added that the program will allow graduates of the college's existing general sonography program to specialize in echocardiography, thereby becoming more marketable to employers. 

CFCC spokesman David Hardin said that participation the new program is not limited to graduates of the sonography program, but admission is selective and applicants must have at least an associate’s degree in a health care-related field or a bachelor’s degree in any field.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, sonography is among the fastest growing fields of employment, with a projected 39 percent increase in jobs between 2012 and 2022. Hardin said that several other community colleges in the state already offer cardiovascular sonography programs.

Echocardiographers are trained technologists who employ sonogram technology to provide diagnostic imaging of the heart, the release stated. These technologists work closely with cardiologists or echocardiologists, who view initial findings of the echocardiographer. Their findings help with diagnoses and development of treatment programs for patients.

The deadline to apply for the new program is July 28, the release stated. Classes, held in Union Station on CFCC’s downtown Wilmington campus, start on August 15. For further information, visit www.cfcc.edu/cvs