The Pennsylvania House of Representatives this week named a former radiologic technologist as its 141st speaker.
It took 45-year-old Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster County, just 13 years to ascend from x-ray tech to the most powerful position in the Keystone State’s General Assembly. He’s well-regarded for knowledge about healthcare issues, stemming from his early days helping care for his parents, who were both diagnosed with ALS while Cutler was still a teenager.
That upbringing propelled him into training in the imaging field, later pursuing a degree in healthcare administration. Bob Still, executive director of the Radiology Business Management Association, got to know Cutler years ago when the two both worked together at the Lancaster General Hospital, and the two remain friends today.
“The speaker understands healthcare, radiology and the challenges people face which is critical during these challenging times. This is a great combination for a political leader,” said Still, who managed the hospital’s radiology group where Cutler served as a technologist.
Cutler’s legislative colleagues describe him as “bright, popular and unable to still,” and his 13-year ascension marks the fastest rise for any Pennsylvania House leader in half a century, Lancaster Online reported. You can read more about his background below.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.