Radiation Therapist Sr

General Summary

The Senior Therapist provides management support by way of leadership in assigned work area. Under general supervision of the Chief Therapist and/or Director of Clinical Physics and in accordance with department policy and procedure, this position performs and organizes radiation therapy related patient services and assists department in meeting goals and objectives. The Senior Therapist has strong interpersonal, supervisory, organizational, and communication skills and demonstrates independent action, judgment, and decision-making skills. They display attributes in compassions, concern, and courtesy for the oncology patient.

Benefits

Corewell offers a comprehensive benefits package to meet your financial, health and life-work balance goals.
· NEW On-demand pay program – powered by Payactiv
· Generous paid time off, holidays and flexible scheduling
· Our employees receive special discounts on a wide range of products and services
· Exceptional health, dental, vision and prescription drug insurance plans
· Generous retirement savings, disability insurance, identify theft protection and even home and auto insurance
· Free onsite parking at all campuses

Essential Duties

1. Administers prescribed doses of radiation to specific body parts using radiation therapy equipment.
2. Administers contrast material if indicated; monitors patient closely. Administers medical treatment to patient having adverse reaction to contrast and notifying doctor.
3. Reviews prescription, diagnosis, patient chart and identification; validates actual treatment dosages delivered during each session.
4. Prepares and constructs equipment such as immobilization, treatment and protection devices, including electron blocks. Checks radiation therapy equipment to ensure proper operation.
5. Observes the clinical progress of the radiation oncology patient. Uses clinical decision-making skills to recognize and report any signs of complications. Observes and reassures patients during treatment, reports unusual reaction, halts treatment if unexpected adverse reactions occur.
6. Educates, prepares and reassures patients and their families by answering questions, providing physical assistance and reinforcing the physician’s advice regarding treatment reactions and post treatment care.
7. Able to prepare the treatment room and equipment and positions patients for treatment in a timely manner with accuracy according to prescription without direct supervision.
8. Able to acquire proper imaging as directed by the physician, for example port films, conebeam CT, ultrasound, MRI, or PET imaging as trained per site directives.
9. Requires basic computer and keyboarding skills. Enters data into computer and sets controls to operate, adjusts equipment, regulates dosage and enters pertinent paperwork into the Mosaiq chart. Maintains patient medical
records, reports and files including radiation dosages, equipment setting and patient reactions. Prepares accurate billing records for procedures.
10. Assists in the preparation of physical and technical aspects of radiation treatment plans.
11. Evaluates, teaches and monitors the clinical and didactic education of radiation therapy and diagnostic students under the established guidelines of the program.
12. Responsible for education and training of new personnel and completing probationary objectives and evaluations.
13. Conducts pertinent QA (weekly chart checks, daily billing, daily machine warm ups, mapchecks, diodes).
14. Assists in policy updates, follows all hospital and departmental policies and procedures, and acts as department safety liaison.
15. Performs patient scheduling for external beam treatment delivery and updates treatment schedules as needed.
16. Attends work on schedule, stays for remainder of shift, and participates in on call rotations.
17. Coordinates with other divisions both in and outside the department (physics, nursing, dosimetry, clerical, and physicians, patient escorts) to ensure clear communication line is established and to coordinate care issues as required.
18. Participates in Brachytherapy and EBRT chart rounds as needed, per department requirements.
19. Audits charts upon treatment completion based on department specific needs.
20. Purchases supplies related to CT simulation, and treatment delivery.

Senior Therapist Specialties

1. Linear accelerator Senior
a. Assists in creating senior rotations and staff monthly rotations.
b. Keeps track of Kronos/employee time cards.
c. Assist with evaluations of therapists
d. Resolve conflicts in the absence of the designated Supervisor, manages treatment unit that they are in charge of, and assists in the running of other linear accelerators when the designated senior therapist is not present.
e. Assist in interviewing and selection of prospective therapists.
f. Oversees the running of the radiation therapy students through the designated program. Designates student rotations on machines or nursing, facilitates visits to brachytherapy, gamma knife, or any other specialty area relating to radiation therapy that is accessible within the department.
2. CT/Sim Senior
a. In charge of keeping track of supplies needed for simulation and treatment machines; ordering and/or alerting designated supervisor when supplies are needed.
b. Maintain mold room and responsible for all blocks that need to be cut.
c. Oversee setup of patient and the manufacturing of immobilization devices needed for treatment.
d. Involved in Proton Center (attend meetings, assist in setups for simulation of proton patients, (site dependent)).
e. Maintain logs for simulation area (number of simulations performed, water bath, blocks cut).
f. Oversees the running of the radiation therapy students through the designated program. Designates student rotations on machines or nursing, facilitates visits to brachytherapy, gamma knife, or any other specialty area relating to radiation therapy that is accessible within the department.
3. Imaging Specialist
a. Review all cone beam CT (CBCT) images daily. Note any anatomical changes or alignment irregularities and report to the attending Radiation Oncologist physician. Oversee treatment delivery for any treatments requiring movement greater than 1 cm.
b. SBRT and SRS: coordinate simulation and treatment schedule, be present and oversee treatment delivery, review and approve all imaging along with the physician prior to treatment delivery.
c. Dosimetry support: assist dosimetry staff with importing of images, fusing of PET and MRI scans and exporting of treatment plans. Provide support to the dosimetry and physics staff using multiple treatment planning and image review systems. Provide support to dosimetry and physics staff through distribution of cases from simulation and/or distribution of cases for IMRT review.
d. Database management: provide support for management of imaging databases for Radiation Oncology. Support the physician, resident and physics staff in obtaining and analyzing data as needed.
e. Mosaiq clinical support: provide support to clinical users on daily Mosaiq clinical operations. Work with staff to develop workflows for the clinical record and develop and implement clinical uses such as eScribe documents, assessments and IQ scripts. Participate in testing and validation of software upgrades and new uses of the Mosaiq system.
4. Brachytherapy Specialist
a. Perform daily QA on the HDR unit in accordance with department procedures to comply with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations.
b. Independently perform required imaging for initial evaluation and treatment delivery. Initial evaluations include but are not limited to; ultrasound evaluations for prostate treatment, breast biopsy cavity evaluation using CT scans, simulation for multi-catheter implants and C-arm imaging for treatment verification.
c. Perform the treatment planning for all routine brachytherapy procedures including prostate, GYN, and breast treatments. Independently perform the real-time transrectal ultrasound and treatment planning for the HDR prostate HDR patients.
d. Transfer all data to the HDR control system, complete verification of all data, deliver treatment (under direct supervision of Authorized Medical Physicist and Authorized user), document all treatments, perform the radiation survey and complete the billing for all procedures.
e. Participate in special projects to support the brachytherapy section as well as the external beam section. These projects include but are not limited to; working with attending physicians and residents on brachytherapy treatment planning projects, maintaining and supporting the dosimetry data submission for the Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality consortium and review of billing practices and requirements for brachytherapy.
5. Gamma Knife Specialist
a. Assist with the pre-procedure process of the gamma knife patients including assisting with the placement of the stereotactic frame, setup of the patient in MRI and CT for imaging.
b. Setup, verification and monitoring of automatic and manual treatments and adjustments during trunnion modes of SRS treatment. Problem solves ways of reaching the treatment coordinates during equipment collisions.
c. Completes daily QA on the machine and related equipment including filling contrast in the MRI box. Assists the physicist with monthly QA activities such as trunnion centricity tests on the collimators, frame accuracy measurements, treatment room survey and check sources for the room survey meters in GK and in security. Complete leak testing swabs on the collimators bi-annually and print the measurements out in the Nuclear Medicine Department.
d. Maintain files for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspections.
e. Manage databases as needed for the Gamma Knife department such as Brain Lab registry, Quality of Life, and Acoustic Neuroma databases. Send out HIC questionnaires at designated timelines to patients that have consented and entering respon