Radiology at University of Vermont Health - Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital isn’t just a department — it’s a legacy. For more than five decades, the Ashline family has helped shape its growth, training students, staffing hospitals and caring for patients across the North Country and Vermont. Alongside them, radiologists at the hospital played a vital role in education, guiding students and shaping the program’s success. Three generations later, the Ashline name is still on the schedule, their influence still woven into how imaging is practiced both here and beyond. 

Faye Ashline’s 50-Year Career 

The story begins with Faye Ashline, who joined Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital — then Champlain Valley Hospital — in 1960 at just 18 years. She retired in 2011, after 50 years and four months of service, a tenure that spanned sweeping changes in technology and the hospital itself. 

In 1972, Faye became director of the hospital’s School of Radiologic Technology, founded in 1965 by radiologist Robert Buran, M.D. She led the program for 38 years, mentoring hundreds of technologists, many of whom went on to work at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, UVM Medical Center, and other hospitals across the region. Her students consistently passed board exams, often scoring above 90. Former students remember her as a tough but fair teacher, particularly strong in anatomy, physiology, and physics. 

Her influence extended to her own family. Her son Joe graduated from the program in 1995 and built a decades-long career in radiology. Her nephew, Jason Miller, is now lead interventional radiology technologist at UVM Medical Center. Joe’s son, Connor, represents the third generation, working overnight CT technologist at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, alongside his wife, Kayla. 

“Nobody ever pushed us into it,” Joe says. “We just saw what kind of career it was and followed that path.” 

Faye also helped establish Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital’s Women’s Imaging Center (WIC), advocating for mammography and early detection when few options existed. She encouraged colleagues — especially women — to cross-train and pursue registry exams, helping many advance their careers.

When the school’s future was uncertain, Faye worked behind the scenes to keep it in Plattsburgh. “It was a big part of who we were,” she says, “and we weren’t going to lose it.” 

Even after retiring, Faye continued tutoring students privately into her early 80s. As recently as last year, she helped a graduate prepare for exams and land a job in PET imaging. 

Over her career, Faye witnessed radiology’s transformation — from hand-developing films in darkrooms to the advent of CT, MRI and digital imaging.

“You just have to put it in your mind that there will always be changes in this field, and you can’t fight them,” she says.

The Program’s Broader Impact 

The School of Radiologic Technology at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital has shaped staffing across the region. In a rural area where recruiting health care workers is challenging, the program built a steady pipeline of local technologists who stayed and grew within the community. That continuity meant patients had familiar caregivers and departments relied less on short-term staffing solutions. 

As of 2025, the school has graduated more than 500 students across 61 classes, with recruitment underway for the 62nd. Many graduates went on to careers at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, UVM Medical Center and other hospitals across the region. 

In 1983, Faye Ashline led an initiative to partner with SUNY Empire State College, allowing students to earn college credit while working at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital. Graduates left with both a certificate in radiography and, at minimum, an associate degree in math, science and technology. When the national certifying body later required a degree, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital was already ahead. “Faye had the foresight to prepare us for whatever came next,” says Marla Garcia, the program’s current director. “She wanted us to have options... not just a job, but a career.” 

Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital’s program remains one of only two north of Albany — a rare and essential resource for training the next generation of imaging professionals. 

“Without it, it would be much harder to fill positions locally, and patients would wait longer for care,” says Jay Gonyea, director of radiology services. “Training people here is what keeps this department running.” 

He has seen that impact firsthand. Many colleagues across the region came through the program, forming a network that still underpins imaging services today. 

Today, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital’s radiology department employs close to 100 people and performs nearly 150,000 exams each year, including nearly 40,000 CT scans. to emergency trauma cases. The Women’s Imaging Center performed 30,500 exams in 2024 alone — a consistency leaders link to community trust and the standards Faye set.