Therapeutic Medical Physicists

Therapeutic Medical Physicists

Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX - Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234

Overview

Position Type: Full Time Job Shift: Day Category: Health Care

Description

Therapeutic Medical Physicists

The Therapeutic Medical Physicist shall perform clinical radiation therapy physics and other support services in support of BAMC's Radiation Oncology program Department of Radiology, BAMC, San Antonio, TX

Hours: Part-Time- Job Share (20-40 hours per week with flexibility)

Reporting Time:

If working *8 hours (8x5): 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM

If working *10 hours (10x4): 6:30 AM – 5:00 PM

The contract lead at the facility will coordinate and maintain scheduling.

Schedule Management

When directed by the Government, the HCW shall remain on duty to complete patient treatment where lack of continuity of care would otherwise jeopardize patient health. This provision is not intended to apply to the time required to complete routine tasks (e.g., completion of paperwork or routine administrative tasks at the end of a shift) which are to be completed as part of the normal work schedule.

HCW Duties: Therapeutic Medical Physicist

• The HCW shall perform clinical radiation therapy physics and other support services as required by the Department of Radiology, BAMC.
• Manage the Radiation Therapy Service Equipment Quality Control Program.
• Develop, oversee, and analyze technician quality control testing of radiation producing, detection, and measurement equipment.
• Perform physics quality control testing, calibration, and equipment evaluation on equipment to be used directly for radiation therapy purposes.
• Monitor maintenance of treatment device, dosimetry, and radiation therapy imaging equipment, and pertinent accessory purposes.
• Coordinate maintenance of treatment device, dosimeter, radiation therapy imaging equipment, and accessories with medical maintenance.
• Perform dosimetry inter-comparison.
• Provide expert guidance for procurement of new and emerging technologies related to treatment and quality assurance equipment. Assist the Government in developing specifications for the procurement of this equipment. Provide consulting services for equipment acceptance testing.
• Serve as Authorized Radiation Safety Officer for Radiation Oncology.
• Support computer systems. Manage multiple computer systems.
• Monitor/ensure computer maintenance.
• Develop and oversee quality control testing.
• Enter therapy and radioisotope data.
• Certify computer output against measurements for treatment planning system, beam-scanning system, and computers interfaced with linear accelerator.
• Coordinate maintenance of imaging, treatment planning, accelerator control, and physics computer systems. Perform quality control testing. Consult on patient simulation and treatment.
• Consult with physician and radiation therapist to determine positioning of patient and equipment.
• Provide periodic analysis of consistent and accurate positioning of patient equipment, and treatment aid.
• Perform treatment chart checks.
• Evaluate special dosimetry.
• Perform and analyze special dosimetry on selected procedures.
• Consult with physician concerning the effect upon patient. Perform fetal exposure evaluation.
• Plan treatment. (a) Develop treatment plan. Confer with physician; construct patient models and cross sections. Develop treatment plans and obtain physician approval. Calculate treatment times. Discuss final plan with radiation therapist and annotate treatment chart. Check dosimetrist's plan and calculations. (b) Validate treatment plan, check dosimetrist's plan and calculations. Collaborate with physician on final treatment plans. Design and oversee construction of treatment aid device. (a) Verify accuracy and integrity of treatment aid device. (b) Oversee design of treatment aids. (c) Develop specification for custom designed commercially constructed device.
• Provide LDR and HDR brachytherapy support to include Eclipse planning, Oncentra planning, Variseed planning, RadCalc utilization, Mapcheck utilization, operating room assistance, LDR source handling and procurement assistance/coordination, HDR source exchange coordination, LDR and HDR QA, and clinical process improvement.
• Provide direct support. Monitor the purchase, delivery, handling, and disposition of brachytherapy radioactive material in accordance with NRC guidelines. Verify activity and prepare radioactive material for insertion.
• Assist physician in surgical insertion of brachytherapy device.
• Review scout localization film, direct simulation procedure, assist physician with placement of radioactive material and later removal, and maintain source accountability record.
• Perform quality control procedures required in support of LDR and HDR brachytherapy.
• Provide ancillary support.
• Review radioactive material, assist in simulation, and transfer radioactive material to treatment room.
• Develop or improve procedures. Consults with physician and radiation therapist to develop and obtain improved technology or technique.
• Provide radiation safety support during all facets of radiation therapy.
• Provide radiation safety consultation for Radiation Oncology.
• The radiation therapy physicist shall be a participating member of the BAMC/SAMHS Radiation Safety Committee.
• Maintain continuing medical education. Receive continuing medical education by reading journals or books. Participate in professional society's meeting and committee.
• Oversees dosimetrist.
• Teach in-service training classes as necessary or as dictated by the Chief, Radiation Oncology Service (ROS) or COR, not to exceed one class per month. Classes will be taught when new procedures or technology are implemented or when new nuclear regulatory directives are implemented that affect the ROS. The quality assurance committee representative will prepare a report upon completion of each class. The report is to include as a minimum: subject, date of class, name of attendees, reference federal regulations cited and scope.
• Attendance at meetings. The Contractor's physicist shall attend and participate in all meetings, staff conferences and other appropriate professional activities as required by the Chief, ROS and Chief Department of Radiology.
• Oversee the coordination and timing of systems upgrades on Varian, Nucletron, Sun Nuclear, Philips, and other radiation therapy treatment and quality assurance platforms.
• Implement installation and application of systems upgrades on Varian, Nucletron, Sun Nuclear, Philips, and other radiation therapy treatment and quality assurance platforms. This is to be performed with system specific vendor expert personnel.
• Coordinate and participate in training all other HCW's within the radiation oncology clinic on pertinent aspects of all system upgrades.

Qualifications

HCW Qualification:

Degree/Education: Shall possess a doctorate degree (Ph.D. or Sc.D.) in Therapeutic Radiological Physics, Therapeutic Medical Physics, or equivalent from a university accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs, Inc. (CAMPEP)

Certifications: Possess Board Certification by either the American Board of Radiology (ABR) in Therapeutic Medical Physics, Radiological Physics or the American College of Medical Physics (ACMP) in Therapeutic Medical Physics.

Licensure/Registration: Shall possess and maintain an active, valid and unrestricted license to practice medical physics in the state of Texas.

Basic Life Support (BLS): Possess and maintain current in BLS through the American Heart Association or American Red Cross. Web-Based classes will not be accepted.

Experience:

• Ten years of recent clinical medical physics experience. Shall be currently proficient in clinical radiation therapy physics technology and other support services, demonstrated by active practice of at least 12 months within the last 18 months.
• Meets the training and experience qualifications of 10 CFR 35 to handle NRC license brachytherapy sources. Possess United States (U.S.) Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) qualifications listed in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 35 (10 CFR 35) for an authorized medical physicist (AMP) including specialization with both low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy and high dose rate (HDR) remote after loading brachytherapy.