Monika Chhabra Gupta is the founder of CGA Medical Imaging and MCG Career College, two Alberta-based organizations dedicated to healthcare access and workforce development. Her goal? Making great quality healthcare available to everyone.
For the last 20 years, Monika has helped grow MCG Career College into multiple institutions across Alberta. Offering programs like Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Medical Office Administration, Global Operations and Supply Chain Management, Massage Therapy, Art and Design, Monika has helped grow MCG to meet industry needs.
In addition, Monika has also expanded CGA Medical imaging into a five-location diagnostic network offering medical imaging services. Monika is recognized as the first woman of color to establish a diagnostic medical imaging clinic in Alberta, playing a major role in reducing healthcare wait times in underserved regions like Cold Lake and High River.
Together, both organizations create a connected ecosystem: CGA delivers healthcare services where they are needed, and MCG develops the future workforce necessary to support them.
Building a Medical Legacy
Monika’s goal was to make good quality healthcare, and healthcare education, available to everyone, regardless of their location, age, or financial circumstances. Today, CGA is able to dramatically reduce wait times, help patients access diagnostic care close to home, and improve health outcomes.
So how did she do it? As an immigrant herself, Monika understood the challenges that newcomers and financially vulnerable individuals face when trying to build a future in Canada, and built MCG Career College’s programming around the idea. With the help of her husband and co-founder Dr. Chander Gupta, a renowned radiologist in Alberta, Monika built academic programming around market need. By introducing tuition-free education for seniors above 65, scholarship opportunities for refugees, and innovative programs where financially insecure students can offset tuition costs by volunteering, Monika made MCG College both appealing and accessible.
Her work has paid off: over the past 10 years, CGA Medical Imaging has expanded to five locations across Alberta, and MCG Career College has expanded to three campuses. The college became Alberta’s only private institution offering the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program, which directly contributes to developing the healthcare professionals needed to reduce wait times across the province. Today, she has graduated thousands of students who now contribute to Alberta’s and Canada’s economy and has built a combined workforce of approximately 200 employees across both organizations.
The Next Stage of Growth
Monika says healthcare remains essential, regardless of economic conditions. This market need has allowed CGA Medical Imaging to maintain stable growth, even during challenging economic times. MCG Career College adapts by aligning its programs with labour market demand, workforce shortages, and industry needs. Graduates take roles in healthcare, logistics, business, and wellness, and MCG prioritizes partnerships with healthcare organizations, Alberta Health Services, and the community.
What’s next? For CGA Medical Imaging, the organization plans to open two additional clinic locations in 2026, while adding MRI technology in Calgary and Cold Lake. In the long term, Monika says she plans to introduce specialized cardiac imaging services and additional diagnostic modalities. For MCG Career College, she hopes to strengthen existing campuses in Calgary, Red Deer, and Cold Lake.
Achieving the next stage of growth will require continued investment in healthcare technology, facility expansion, strategic partnerships, and workforce recruitment. Monika says both organizations plan to continue investing in accreditation, regulatory compliance, advanced technology, and community partnerships.
Monika has also acquired a film college in British Columbia called InFocus Film College, and wishes to expand her reach across Canada.
Community Impact & Making a Difference
What makes Monika’s work different is her focus on community. Both CGA Medical Imaging and MCG Career College integrate community impact directly into the business model. Instead of treating community impact as a separate initiative, both organizations were built around a people-first philosophy.
Monika regularly visits CGA Medical Imaging clinic locations, takes time to speak directly with patients and physicians, personally reviews feedback, and ensures continuous operational improvement. This hands-on approach has helped her create a culture of accountability, compassion, and consistency. Monika prioritizes accessibility, workforce development, and quality service – alongside her focus on long-term community wellbeing.
At MCG Career College, one of the most unique operating models is its volunteer-based tuition, where students can offset up to 100% of tuition through volunteering with nonprofit organizations. This helps reduce financial barriers to education, while strengthening community organizations through volunteer support.
The industry-driven education model meets the needs of students by targeting labor market shortages and workforce needs; Monika herself collaborates with employers, accreditation bodies, healthcare organizations, nonprofits, and government agencies to ensure these practical programs meet the needs of both students and their future employers.
Monika built MCG Career College and CGA Medical Imaging from her own experience as a newcomer to Canada, and this empathetic, people-first philosophy shows. Her entrepreneurial skill has created two organizations that not only meet the needs of Alberta’s students, but help offer more accessible, more reliable healthcare overall.
