Responsible for the oversight of the physics activities in Radiation Oncology system wide. This will include quality assurance testing and calibration of radiation therapy equipment, quality assurance of patient treatment techniques including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS, SBRT) plan and chart review and patient specific quality assurance testing as well as various types of brachytherapy procedures including HDR. Oversees all aspects of medical physics and radiation safety in radiation therapy, system wide. Serves on the Radiation Safety Committee.
QUALIFICATION:
Education & Experience:
- M.S. in Medical Physics or Radiological Physics required.
- Ph.D. preferred.
- Certified in Therapeutic Radiological physics or Radiological Physics.
- At least five (5) years of clinical experience preferred.
- Two years of supervisory experience required.
- Eligibility to become an Authorized Medical Physicist for HDR is required.
Certification/ Licensure:
Physical Requirements
N: Never O: Occasionally (0%) F: Frequently (20%-80%) C: Constantly >80%)
Lifting 0lbs
N
Standing
F
Sitting
C
Lifting 20-50lbs
N
Climbing
O
Kneeling
O
Lifting>50lbs
N
Crouching
O
Reaching
F
Carrying
N
Hearing
C
Walking
F
Pushing
N
Talking
F
Vision
C
Environmental Conditions
Noise
N
Varied Temperatures
O
Cleaning Agents
N
Noxious odors
N
Patient Exposure
O
Operative Equipment
C
Position Responsibilities
Maintenance of Work Area and Equipment:
- Actively troubleshoots and calibrates equipment and reports problems to appropriate personnel.
- Documents all problems in the appropriate manner including all downtime and any remedial action, notifying appropriate person of problem and resolution.
- Maintains inventory of radiation detection instruments, sealed sources, and radiation emitting devices and calibration of same.
- Oversees and performs the quality control of radiation producing equipment.
- Responsible for the above system wide
Education/Professional Development:
- Attends/participates/oversees Radiation Oncology in-services.
- Attends AAPM or other appropriate educational opportunities as appropriate for the betterment of the Department.
Participates in Departmental Quality Improvement Activities:
- Assists Department Director in developing and conducting departmental activities.
- Incorporates information related to physics functions in the departmental Quality Improvement activities.
- Collects, correlates, evaluates and responds to data for process improvement.
- Gives recommendations of areas to be monitored that have caused problems with patient care.
- Suggests possible corrective actions when compliance rate fails in areas related to physics functions.
- Along with Department leadership, oversees and participates in the development of the Quality Improvement activities of the Department system wide.
- Participates in any system wide QA activities, including QA/PI meetings.
Adheres to Policies and Procedures:
- Assists in the development of radiation related policies for the system, reviews radiation policies for the Department of Radiation Oncology as required and electronically approves these policies in the appropriate software program.
- Ensures that new policies and procedures are written when needed, or existing policies and procedures are revised when procedures are initiated or changed in areas of physics and radiation safety.
- Educates hospital personnel on new/revised policies and staff is aware of new and revised policies and receive the training required for implementation.
Physics and Radiation Safety Responsibilities:
- The responsibilities listed below are an outline of the duties of the position in addition to the overall supervision of these items and the entire physics program of Radiation Oncology system wide.
- Oversees the performance of radiation therapy treatment calculations for external beam and brachytherapy treatments to provide quality patient care.
- Assures that calculations are performed by qualified staff members, are completed in a timely fashion, and accurately reflect the Radiation Oncologist's prescription.
- Presents all ambiguous or incomplete portions of treatment prescriptions to the Radiation Oncologist for clarification.
- Double checks the accuracy of calculations completed by other staff members and documents this in the appropriate manner.
- Educates and supervises staff in performance of radiation therapy treatment calculations.
- Advises Radiation Oncologist and radiation therapists on treatment planning and patient setups to provide quality patient care by reviewing patient charts, prescriptions, simulation images, and patient setup for complex cases and advises on alternative treatment planning approaches.
- Coordinates use of record and verify system for entry of dosimetry information and tracking of patient dose information for external beam patients to provide quality patient care.
- Develops approaches for entry of dosimetry information and educates staff who participate in this activity.
- Enters dosimetry information for complex cases and is available to enter dosimetry information for all cases.
- Double checks accuracy of treatment field and dosimetry information entry for all patients.
- Performs audits of treatment charts and images for all external beam patients ("chart checks") to confirm accuracy of treatments and accuracy of documentation of treatments to provide quality patient care.
- Performs chart check for each external beam patient following the first treatment, following any change in treatment and following the final treatment.
- During chart checks, confirms that all treatments accurately reflect the Radiation Oncologist's prescription and the approved calculations, that all documentation is accurate and complete, that all information in the record and verify system is accurate, and that any handwritten, and computer records are consistent with one another.
- Corrects or submits for correction any identified errors. As appropriate, brings errors to the attention of the Department Director and/or Radiation Oncologist as well as education the performing staff member.
- Oversees all physics billing in the Departments.
Supervises the work of medical dosimetrist and physicists:
- Develops the job descriptions, interviews and makes recommendation for hiring and education of new staff.
- Provides ongoing direction and evaluation of the work of the staff medical dosimetrist.
- Sets appropriate goals for the staff.
- Oversees staff education of new procedures.
Participates in training of students in the Department of Radiation Oncology:
- Provides physics and dosimetry training/lectures, as needed, for students rotating through the Departments.
- As requested by outside institutions, supervises students fulfilling internship requirements of graduate programs in Medical or Radiological Physics or related fields.
Participates in acquisition process and facility design for radiation therapy equipment and support areas:
- Serves on acquisition committees, providing physics and technical support in a timely and professional manner.
- Provides facility design information concerning radiation safety, in accordance with regulatory requirements and good safety practice.
- Oversees the instillation of new radiation producing equipment as well as new software programs.
- Researches and directs the purchases of new software programs for the Departments.
Participates in planning and development of new/existing programs in the Department of Radiation Oncology:
- Researches and proposes information for capital budget submissions involving machine sources of radiation, equipment involved in the planning or delivery of patient treatments, and physics equipment.
- Research regulatory, safety, and physics support implications of proposed new programs and makes appropriate suggestions.
- Oversees other aspects of program development and implementation as requested.
Regulatory Agencies:
- Oversees regulatory inspections and accreditations and successfully completes the same system wide in Radiation Oncology.
Provides administrative and professional service to the hospital system:
- Serves on committees as requested, with attendance at a minimum of 80% of assigned meetings and meaningful participation.
- Provides consultation as requested to hospital committees and departments and to the community.
- Participates in special projects as assigned.
- Performs duties accurately and efficiently.
Licenses & Certifications
Cert Name
State
Title
Country
Required?
Importance
Competencies
Competency Name
Required?
Importance
Education
Degree Name
Major (Not avail)
Grad Req'd?
Required?
Importance
Doctorate
N
N
MEDIUM
Masters
Medical Physics
N
Y
IMPORTANT
Work Experience
Skill
Min Yrs Exp
Required?
Importance
Supervisory
2
Y
IMPORTANT
Clinical
5
N
MEDIUM
FOR HR USE ONLY:
Reviewed By:
Click or tap here to enter text.
Date:
Click or tap to enter a date.
Approved By:
Click or tap here to enter text.
Date:
Click or tap to enter a date.
Last Updated By:
KmiecA@ihn.org
Date:
04/25/2023