DESCRIPTION

New Mexico Cancer Center (NMCC), as a subsidiary of New Mexico Oncology and Hematology Consultants (NMOHC), in Albuquerque, NM, is a premier free-standing cancer center that treats more than 500 patients every year. The physics/technical group consists of 1 chief physicist, 1 senior medical physicist, 1 junior physicist, 2 dosimetrists, 1 junior dosimetrist, 2 service engineers and information system administrators. The clinical group consists of 4 radiation oncologists, 2 nurses, 1 chief therapist, and 8 staff therapists.

SKILLS

• Must have outstanding verbal and written communication skills to relate important clinically relevant information to other professionals.
• Must be able to make decisions independently and acknowledge accountability for such decisions.
• Must be able to apply advanced math and physics principles with critical thinking to solve problems independently.
• Must be able to manage day-to-day activity as assigned by a team leader or supervisor.
• Must be able to prioritize tasks to ensure QA/QC is done in a timely fashion.
• Must be able to maintain activity logs documenting up-to-date equipment QA/QC.
• Must be able to use mechanical tools for various aspects of device QA/QC.
• Must be proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook software and able to easily learn other software applications.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A bachelor’s degree in science or engineering is required.
• A bachelor’s or master’s degree related to medical/health physics is preferred.

• Perform and document monthly QA activities of the linear accelerators and CT simulator. QA tasks require work in late evenings 2-3 times a week, and, occasionally, during the weekend.
• Perform daily QA and quarterly source exchange for the HDR Bravos system. Maintain proper documentation of the QA activities, such as updating source decay table, source receiving and shipping.
• Perform weekly patient chart checks for any dose and mathematical errors, prescription changes and image review changes that may have occurred throughout the course of treatment.
• Perform and document final patient chart check.
• Accurately enter and review daily charges. Review and audit patient charges at the time of patient chart close-out.
• Perform pre-treatment patient specific QAs of the approved radiation treatment plans with EPID-based portal dosimetry and/or log-file-based analysis, or MapCheck device. Communicate the results to the appropriate staff in a timely manner to minimize delays in patient treatments and/or miscommunications.
• Maintain, and properly use dosimetry equipment such as ionization chambers, electrometers, water phantom scanning systems, daily check devices, phantoms, computers used with equipment, computer software, thermometers, barometers, small tool inventory, etc.
• Assist staff physicists in acceptance testing and calibration of new equipment.
• Assist in HDR brachytherapy treatment planning for skin and gynecologic implants.
• Maintain an orderly lab for the storage and use of physics equipment. Maintain physics equipment inventory to ensure that they are properly calibrated, and fully functional.
• Participate in a technical capacity to assess and improve equipment and procedures that relate to quality assurance.
• Participate in the training of new staff, including but not limited to medical physics and therapy staff as directed by the supervising physicist.
• Assist in performing functions related to facility radiation safety, which include but are not limited to radiation surveys and shielding analysis.
• Participate in other technical activities to ensure coverage during critical staff shortages.
• Participate in research and development projects in collaboration with medical Physics staff and other department researchers.
• Communicate with colleagues in the physics-technical group to improve QA/QC techniques. These improvements may be related to cost reduction, better efficiency and workflow, improved patient safety and comfort, higher delivery accuracy, and automation.
• Review and write physics-related procedures to ensure they are up to date. Evaluate and suggest specific solutions that would result in improved workflow.
• Participate in intradepartmental educational sessions or meetings that pertain to hardware QA/QC.
• Oversee some expense-related activities including the coordination of repairs of equipment by vendors, facilitation of purchases of other small items of lab equipment and for periodic calibration of ionization chambers.
• Participates in the training of new staff, including but not limited to Medical Physicis