Medical Radiation Physicist, M.S. (Certified)

Medical Radiation Physicist, M.S. (Certified)

Join Legacy Health System, which operates three radiation oncology facilities in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. We have an opening for a full-time, board-certified Radiation Oncology Medical Physicist to backfill for a retirement. The primary focus will be on external beam treatments at the single LINAC facility at Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham, Oregon, but will also include participation in programs at the downtown Portland and Salmon Creek facilities, both of which are within 20 miles of Mount Hood Medical Center. The preferred candidate will have experience with all facets of an external beam facility including LINAC, CT, and surface guidance, and a history of collaboration with dosimetrists, therapists, and physicians.

Currently, equipment that is common to all sites includes: Raystation TPS v11b, 4D GE CT, and Elekta IGRT LINAC. The Salmon Creek facility also provides SGRT via Vision RT. The downtown Portland facility has active programs in Gamma Knife radiosurgery (120 patients/year), high and low dose rate brachytherapy (125 patients/year), IORT, and Eye Plaque. The external beam practices involve the extensive use of VMAT and SBRT, and patients frequently receive combined therapies with brachytherapy and Gamma Knife SRS. This position will primarily work in an unsupervised capacity.

The physicist will join a team that currently includes four physicists, six physicians, and four dosimetrists. Each satellite facility has a primary physicist, and the remaining physicists are based at the downtown facility. All physicists assist each other at the different worksites, providing cross-cover as required, and there is an opportunity to support and receive Gamma Knife and HDR specific training and credentialing.

This position offers opportunities and professional challenges associated with innovative and procedure-focused practices, with the feel of a community-based medical center, access to the vibrant city of Portland, and the amazing outdoors of the Pacific Northwest's mountains and coast.

The Medical Physicist is responsible for computations, measurements, and communication as necessary to ensure accurate delivery of radiation therapy treatments as prescribed by the Radiation Oncologist. A Medical Physicist must fully understand the operations, qualities, and necessary safety requirements of all treatment and treatment planning equipment.

Job Description

• Perform machine warm-up and shut-down.
• Operate all machine functions from consoles, pendant, and table panels.
• Know the use of the computer controls for clinical, service, and physics modes.
• Assure that PMIs are timely and complete.
• Maintain a call list for machine service.
• Check the mechanical stability of all machine motions.
• Check all machine interlocks that ensure accurate and safe patient treatment.
• Routinely test emergency stop buttons and machine restarts.
• Understand and appropriately use ionization chambers and electrometers for machine output calibration.
• Perform analysis of daily PROTEA measurements for stability, flatness, and symmetry in beam output.
• Ensure that all meters and dosimetry systems are kept in calibration.
• Perform RPC TLD verifications routinely for outside assurance of beam output.
• Operate and take data with the water scanning phantom as needed for beam dosimetry and check measurements.
• Utilize TLDs for in vivo patient dose measurements and beam dosimetry.
• Use radiographic film for beam dosimetry, alignment checks, etc.
• Generate machine data in hard copy form for hand calculations.
• Have a basic understanding of the underlying algorithms used by the computer for dose calculations.
• Transfer measured data to the treatment planning computer.
• Test the data used by the computer for accuracy.
• Use the computer for any complexity of treatment planning within the computer's limitations.
• Aid physicians in optimal setup and planning as required for patient treatments (simulation consult and CT localization).
• Accurately perform hand calculations and computer-generated treatment plans.
• Perform double-checks of all patient calculations.
• Perform weekly patient chart checks for chart completeness, consistency, and understandability.
• Participate in logging and analysis of CQI indicators.
• Train staff in appropriate radiation safety.
• Remain current on radiation regulations.
• Participate in the Radiation Safety Committee.
• Ensure that license and machine registrations are current and appropriate.
• Assess badge reports for high readings in accordance with ALARA as mandated by the Radiation Safety Committee.
• Perform area surveys with patient brachytherapy implants, new source or equipment installations in Radiation Oncology.
• Properly post radiation areas, emergency procedures, and other notices as required.
• For brachytherapy implants, accurately determine necessary source strength.
• Follow appropriate procedures upon arrival of radioactive shipments.
• Perform calibration verification of brachytherapy sources.
• Keep appropriate records of source inventory, disposals, and hot lab surveys.
• Maintain procedures for proper source handling.
• Post radioactive materials signs and emergency procedures.
• Maintain source utilization and patient and room surveys.
• Offer consultation on new equipment purchases.
• Accurately perform shielding design for new therapy rooms or facilities.
• Perform acceptance testing on new equipment as required.

Qualifications

The job of Medical Physicist minimally requires a Master's of Science Degree in medical physics and sufficient experience in clinical Radiation Therapy Medical Physics. If an individual is to be primarily working without additional Medical Physics supervision, he/she must be certified in Radiation Therapy Physics by one of the following: the American Board of Radiology, the American Board of Medical Physics, or the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine.

Compensation Details

$74 Hourly Wage