A new organization hopes to boost interest and access for aspiring sonographers looking to get more involved in the field.
The Pennsylvania Association for Sonographers, formed in February 2025, is trying to support sonographers in the Keystone State and surrounding areas through accessible resources, networking opportunities, education, and careers.
“I thought, why doesn’t the ultrasound community have their own society within different states? And I noticed there was nothing really established in Pennsylvania,” said association cofounder and president Brenda McMahon. “I thought it would be nice to have a stepping stone for people wanting to go the professional route.”
McMahon has had more than 14 years of experience as a registered diagnostic medical sonographer after graduating with her bachelor’s degree at Mt. Aloysius College in Cresson, PA. She also has six years of experience as a research sonographer at the University of Pittsburgh and is an echocardiography instructor at Mt. Aloysius College.
It was her venture into education and speaking at a Pennsylvania Society of Radiologic Technologists meeting that led her to work on establishing the Pennsylvania Association for Sonographers. The association currently has 20 members.
McMahon also highlighted the challenge that sonographers face with physician burnout. She said that while teaching, she realized that while she was sending graduates off into a good field, it is one that may mentally drain them as technologists face rising imaging volumes and staffing challenges.
“I want to change that. I want people to be happy with their career choices and still find passion in it,” she said.
The Pennsylvania Association for Sonographers aims to bring networking and professional development opportunities closer to home for Pennsylvania sonographers. This will be done by improving access to ultrasound technology and knowledge, fostering a supportive and collaborative community, and promoting lifelong learning, according to the association. It also intends to connect sonographers with career opportunities and create a mentorship program.
Brenda McMahon, cofounder of the Pennsylvania Association for Sonographers, talks about what led her to spearhead the formation of the association, including the threat of physican burnout among sonography professionals.
The association will host two webinars in 2025 and aims to host two conferences in Pennsylvania in 2026. McMahon said she hopes the first webinar, to be hosted in the spring, will be geared toward students and feature participation from ultrasound training programs. This will also include case studies, patient care presentations, and poster competitions. The fall webinar will focus on sonographer wellness, including ways to mitigate stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout.
The association is also reaching out to schools in the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) for membership recruitment and donations. It is also supporting the next generation of sonographers through its scholarship fundraiser.
“Hopefully, we’ll get there,” McMahon said. “So far, I’ve had good feedback from places that they’re interested in getting their students out there.”
More information can be accessed on the association’s site.