Covenant Health

Senior Medical Physicist, Proton Therapy Services

Full Time, 80 Hours Per Pay Period, Day Shift 

Thompson Oncology Group Overview:

As a member of Covenant Health and Thompson Cancer Survival Center, Thompson Oncology Group is part of the region’s largest cancer-fighting network, with more imaging centers, more board-certified physicians and surgeons, and more cancer and radiation centers closer to where you call home. All Thompson Oncology Group practices are committed to excellence and ongoing quality improvement.

Thompson Oncology Group (TOG) is a leader in medical oncology services and provides patients access to all proven, drug-based treatments and the latest clinical trial medicines. Our team of board-certified, fellowship-trained medical oncologists and certified advanced practice providers deliver on-site care and treatment, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and hormone therapy, at affiliated infusion centers throughout our region.

Department Description:

Thompson Proton Center offers patients one of the world's most advanced forms of radiation therapy for cancer treatment. As the ONLY proton therapy center in our region, we’re proud to offer the latest technology and treatment methods to patients across East Tennessee and beyond. One of just 40 proton therapy facilities in the U.S., Thompson Proton Center is centrally located off Dowell Springs Blvd. in West Knoxville.

Position Summary:

The Sr. Medical Physicist is responsible for general medical physics duties pertaining to the operation of a modern radiation therapy clinic. This includes, but is not limited to, treatment plan optimization and assessment, machine and patient specific quality assurance, multimodality imaging, patient immobilization and motion management, radiation protection, and special treatment procedures. The Sr. Medical Physicist will work closely in collaboration with therapists, physicians, physicists, dosimetrists, and machine vendors to facilitate the operation of the clinic. The Sr. Medical Physicists are responsible for the general QA aspects of the overall treatment processes and the equipment.

Recruiter: Sarah Grey || apply@covhlth.com

• Performs, directs, and manages special procedures, including High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy, Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy, microsphere brachytherapy, radioisotope therapy, GammaKnife, Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS), Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT/SABR), and/or pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy.
• Responsible for daily clinical physics coverage, including treatment planning, image fusion, simulation, special physics consults, dose calculations, dose measurements, quality assurance, and weekly continuing physics.
• Provides clinical guidance to the radiation therapists during the simulation, respiratory gating, and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) process.
• Consults with the radiation oncologist(s), dosimetrist(s), therapist(s), and other physics staff concerning treatment planning, patient radiation dose, prior dose delivered, and optimization of patient treatment plans and delivery.
• Responsible for development and management of a comprehensive Quality Management Program that monitors, evaluates, and optimizes radiation oncology processes.
• Performs weekly, monthly, and annual quality assurance (QA) testing for radiation therapy equipment, including but not limited to, linear accelerators, proton therapy systems, treatment planning systems, CT simulators, GammaKnife, and/or HDR afterloaders and applicators.
• Reviews and manages daily QA testing for linear accelerators, PBS proton delivery, image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), surface guided radiation therapy (SGRT), GammaKnife, and/or HDR brachytherapy.
• Performs patient-specific intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) QA, PBS patient-specific QA, and in-vivo dosimetry measurements as needed.
• Responsible for compliance with regulatory and accreditation agency rules and recommendations such as APeX, ABR, State, Federal, or other regulatory agencies relating to radiation therapy and radiation safety.
• Assures the accuracy of treatment unit parameters and settings used for a patient's treatment, including the correct transfer of parameters from between simulation, treatment planning, the electronic chart, and the treatment unit.
• Evaluates new technologies and implements as needed, including acceptance testing and commissioning of new equipment and treatment devices.
• Serves as Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) for a certified registration or radioactive materials license, responsible for monitoring occupational dose limits, provides supervision of source preparation and handling during brachytherapy, provides continual maintenance of the brachytherapy source inventory, and/or provides annual radiation safety training to staff.
• Provides clinical supervision, training, and mentorship of medical physics assistants, medical physics residents, junior physicists, and/or other allied health professionals.
• Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards. Completes required education assignments annually. Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Education:           

MS or PhD in Medical Physics or a related field

Minimum Experience:         

Five (5) years of clinical experience in radiation therapy physics

Licensure Requirement:      

Certified by the American Board of Radiology (ABR) or American Board of Medical Physics (ABMP)