Radiation Physicist Senior / Contract - Allegheny General Hospital

GENERAL OVERVIEW:

This job implements AHN Radiation Safety and MR Safety programs and radiation physics department quality goals and objectives by providing essential professional and technical support to ensure compliance with PA DEP, TJC, CMS and DOH regulations and ACR accreditations across the AHN enterprise. Major responsibilities include: compliance and accreditation testing with required documentation for imaging equipment with primary responsibility for advanced imaging modalities, development and oversight of quality control programs for imaging equipment and patient dose metrics, radiation shielding designs and evaluations, radiation safety and physics policy and procedure development, radiation safety and MR safety support across the enterprise, audits of radiation oncology modalities, participate in evaluations of new imaging modalities and development of testing/QC requirements; radiation physics and radiation safety training for AHN residents and staff, radiation emergency response and overall professional and technical support to physicians, technologists, administration and Radiation Physics management and staff.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES 

• IMAGING EQUIPMENT COMPLIANCE PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS: Perform annual and post-repair performance testing for regulatory, image quality and patient dose assessments on AHN imaging equipment, primarily advanced imaging modalities (i.e. mammography, CT, MRI, nuclear imaging equipment). Ensure compliance with PA-DEP regulations and accreditation requirements required for payer reimbursement and optimal imaging quality and dose; work closely with Clinical Engineering to investigate and resolve equipment and image quality problems. (30%)

• RADIATION SHIELDING: Perform radiation shielding designs for all AHN new and replacement imaging modalities/facilities. Perform testing and evaluation of imaging facilities' shielding to document and demonstrate regulatory compliance and staff/patient/visitor safety. (15%)

• IMAGING QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM: Develop and oversee imaging QC program for diagnostic imaging equipment, with primary focus on advanced imaging modalities, including image quality metrics, repeat analysis, imaging protocol reviews and dose metric monitoring. (10%)

• RADIATION ONCOLOGY RADIATION SAFETY COMPLIANCE: Oversight of radiation safety compliance activities for radiation oncology radioactive material and radiation equipment use, including investigation of reportable medical events and regulatory non-compliance; review of radiation oncology equipment shielding designs. (10%)

• RADIATION SAFETY/MR SAFETY/IMAGING PHYSICS POLICY AND PROCEDURES: Development and review of new radiation safety and imaging physics policies and procedures, with primary focus on advanced imaging modalities QC and safety. (10%)

• RADIATION SAFETY/MRI SAFETY TRAINING: Provide radiation and MRI safety training to physicians, residents, and staff at AHN facilities in compliance with PA-DEP and TJC regulations and to ensure patient and staff safety. (5%)

• NEW IMAGING MODALITY SUPPORT: Analysis, development and implementation of testing/QC policies and procedures for new imaging modalities, to ensure regulatory compliance and optimal imaging quality. (5%)

• RADIATION EMERGENCY RESPONSE: Respond to internal and external radiation emergencies including radioactive material spills, including radioactive contamination monitoring, decontamination, patient and staff dosimetry, emergency event analysis, and required documentation. Available on call as part of the Radiation Physics/Safety call rotation. (5%)

• RADIATION PHYSICS STAFF SUPPORT: Provide support to the RSO, Deputy RSO and radiation physics staff including, but not limited to, participation in PA-DEP radioactive material inspections; assist Senior Radiation Physicists with equipment testing and QC activities; assist Radiation Physics Technician with radioactive material regulatory activities. (5%)

• Other duties as assigned. (5%)

QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum

• Master's Degree in Radiological Physics, Medical Physics, Health Physics, or related scientific field

• Board-Eligible OR one of the following certifications. Certification must be obtained within 5 years of hire or transfer.

  • Diagnostic Medical Physics - American Board of Radiology (ABR)

  • Nuclear Medical Physics - American Board of Radiology (ABR)

  • Certified Health Physicist – American Board of Health Physics (ABHP)

  • Medical Health Physics Certification - American Board of Medical Physics (ABMP)

  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging Physics - American Board of Medical Physics (ABMP)

  • Certification in Diagnostic Physics - American Board of Medical Physics (ABMP)

  • Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation – American Board of Science and Nuclear Medicine (ABSNM)

  • Diagnostic Radiological Physics - Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine (CCPM)

  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging Certification - Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine (CCPM)

  • Nuclear Medicine Physics - Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine (CCPM)

• 3 years of diagnostic imaging testing and QC experience, regulatory compliance, licensing and inspection experience for diagnostic imaging and/or radioactive material use and Advanced radiation physics dosimetry, shielding and analytical skills

Preferred 

• 10 years of diagnostic imaging testing and QC experience, regulatory compliance, licensing and inspection experience for diagnostic imaging and/or radioactive material use Advanced radiation physics dosimetry, shielding and analytical skills or with diagnostic imaging testing, regulatory compliance, licensing and inspection experience for diagnostic imaging and/or radioactive material use 

Disclaimer: The job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this job title. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job. 
 
Compliance Requirement: This job adheres to the ethical and legal standards and behavioral expectations as set forth in the code of business conduct and company policies. 
 
As a component of job responsibilities, employees may have access to covered information, cardholder data, or other confidential customer information that must be protected at all times.  In connection with this, all employees must comply with both the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) as described in the Notice of Privacy Practices and Privacy Policies and Procedures as well as all data security guidelines established within the Company’s Handbook of Privacy Policies and Practices and Information Security Policy.  
 
Furthermore, it is every employee’s responsibility to comply with the company’s Code of Business Conduct. This includes but is not limited to adherence to applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations as well as company policies and training requirements.