Physicist
Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center
GRESHAM, OR

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.

Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center is East County’s full-service hospital, always expanding to meet the community’s growing needs and offering an award-winning patient experience delivered with a personal touch. We offer advanced imaging, a modern emergency department, a welcoming family birth center, surgical services, intensive care, cancer care, gastroenterology and more.

 MACHINE OPERATIONS

Can perform machine warm-up and shut-down.

Can operate all machine functions from consoles, pendant and table panels.

Knows the use of the computer controls for clinical, service and physics modes.

SUPERVISE MACHINE MAINTENANCE/UPKEEP WITH SERVICE PERSONNEL

Assures that PMIs are timely and complete.

Maintains a call list for machine service.

MACHINE QUALITY ASSURANCE

Can check the mechanical stability of all machine motions.

Can check all machine interlocks that ensure accurate and safe patient treatment.

Routinely tests emergency stop buttons and machine restarts.

MACHINE OUTPUT CALIBRATION AND CHECKS

Understands and can appropriately use the ionization chambers and electrometers for machine output calibration.

Performs analysis of the daily PROTEA measurements for stability, flatness and symmetry in beam output.

Assures that all meters and dosimetry systems are kept in calibration.

Performs the RPC TLD verifications routinely for outside assurance of beam output.

MACHINE AND PATIENT DATA MEASUREMENTS

Can operate and take data with the water scanning phantom as needed for beam dosimetry and check measurements.

Can utilize TLDs for in vivo patient dose measurements and beam dosimetry.

Can use radiographic film for beam dosimetry, alignment checks, etc.

Generates machine data in hard copy form for hand calculations.

TREATMENT PLANNING COMPUTERS

Has a basic understanding of the underlying algorithms used by the computer for dose calculations.

Can transfer the measured data to the treatment planning computer.

Tests the data used by the computer for accuracy.

Can use the computer for any complexity of treatment planning within the computer’s limitations.  (Knows the limitations of the computer in treatment planning.)

DOSIMETRY

Aids the physicians in optimal setup and planning as required for patient treatments (simulation consult and CT localization).

Can accurately perform hand calculations and computer generated treatment plans.

Performs double-checks of all patient calculations.

Performs weekly patient chart checks for chart completeness, consistency and understandability.

Participates in the logging and analysis of the CQI indicators.

RADIATION SAFETY

Trains the staff in appropriate radiation safety.

Remains current on radiation regulations.

Participates in the Radiation Safety Committee.

Ensures that License and machine registrations are current and appropriate.

Assesses badge reports for high readings in accordance with ALARA as mandated by the Radiation Safety Committee.

Performs area surveys with patient brachytherapy implants, new  source or equipment installations in Radiation Oncology.

Properly posts radiation areas, emergency procedures and other notices as required.

RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS HANDLING

For brachytherapy implants, can accurately determine necessary source strength.

Follows appropriate procedures upon arrival of radioactive shipments.

Can perform calibration verification of brachytherapy sources.

Keeps appropriate records of source inventory, disposals and hot lab surveys.

Maintains procedures for proper source handling.

Posts radioactive materials signs and emergency procedures.

Maintains source utilization and patient and room surveys.

MISCELLANEOUS

Offers consultation on new equipment purchases.

Can accurately perform shielding design for new therapy rooms or facilities.

Performs acceptance testing on new equipment as required.

The job of Medical Physicist minimally requires a Masters 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.

LEGACY’S VALUES IN ACTION:

Follows guidelines set forth in Legacy’s Values in Action.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Vet/Disabled