Medical Physicist Oncology Senior - Levine Cancer Proton & Advanced Radiation Center

Advocate Aurora Health; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Atrium Health Levine Cancer is seeking a Staff Physicist to support the Proton and Advanced Radiation Therapy Center (PARC) in Charlotte, NC. You will contribute to a proton therapy delivery system and collaborate across facilities to improve patient outcomes.

The role requires a Master’s in Medical Physics, ABR/CCPM/ABMP certification, and about 3 years of oncology physics experience, with proton therapy highly desired.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Medical Physics or related field.
• ABR/CCPM/ABMP certification is required.
• Typically 3 years of experience in Medical Physicist Oncology; proton therapy experience highly desired.

Responsibilities

• Deliver non-standard, standard and complex treatment planning procedures including HDR/LDR/SRS.
• Calibrate therapy machines and perform QA; lead troubleshooting with Medical Engineers.
• Develop and maintain QA programs for modalities and imaging devices.
• Collaborate with Physicians to gather data, analyze outcomes and develop new processes and protocols.
• Ensure compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements.

Skills

Proton therapy experience

Medical physics practice

QA program development

Collaborative team work

Education

Master's Degree in Medical Physics

Tools

RayStation 2023B

ARIA 15.6/16.1

MIM Maestro

Eclipse TPS

GE CT scanner

Job description

Interested applicants are invited to join Atrium Health Levine Cancer’s physics practice working alongside a dynamic care team. Atrium Health Levine Cancer provides patients with access to nationally renowned physicians and state-of-the-art treatments at 28 cancer care locations across the Carolinas, including 10 radiation therapy centers in the Charlotte, NC area.

Atrium Health is recruiting a staff physicist to support clinical services for the Carolina’s only proton delivery system located at the Proton and Advanced Radiation Therapy Center (PARC) in uptown Charlotte. This facility also features GammaKnife radiotherapy and radiopharmaceutical administration. The facility is located on the same campus as a radiation therapy clinic that offers external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy.

The proton therapy delivery system is a Mevion s250i with Hyperscan technology and an in-room Stryker Airo CT. The system features Surface Image Guidance motion management system. The treatment planning system is Raystation version of 2023B and ARIA is the oncology EMR. A dedicated GE CT scanner supports clinical simulations.

The physics/dosimetry team dedicated to supporting the Proton and Advanced Radiation Therapy Center currently consists of 3 staff physicists, 3 dosimetrists and a medical physics assistant in addition to the manager of proton physics.

The 9 other Greater Charlotte-region Atrium Health Levine Cancer Radiation Therapy clinics are equipped with CT Simulators (GE/Philips), as well as Varian treatment planning (Eclipse v16.1), EMR (ARIA 15.6/16.1) and Clinac/Truebeam treatment delivery systems, with one clinic equipped with RayStation (v2023B) TPS, Mosaiq EMR and an Elekta Infinity linear accelerator. Levine Cancer’s Charlotte-area clinics have active SBRT and SRS programs and employ Surface Image Guidance Technology in most facilities. MIM Maestro image management software including AI contouring tools is also utilized. A full complement of QA tools and technologies are available. Active clinical projects include knowledge-based planning techniques, AI contouring, EPID dosimetry and QA standardization using a cloud-based platform.

Additionally, our Charlotte area clinics currently host trainees from the Carolinas College of Health Sciences in radiation therapy and medical dosimetry. Physicists also serve as mentors in the joint Atrium Health/Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist CAMPEP-approved medical physics residency program. In 2025, the Charlotte campus of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine opened with its inaugural class of medical students. It is anticipated that opportunities for academic faculty physicist roles will be available to interested and appropriate candidates.

Interested candidates will join a collaborative environment where physicists work across facilities on projects impacting patients network-wide.

Major Responsibilities

• Performs delivery of non-standard, standard and complicated treatment planning and techniques which may include high dose radiation (HDR), low dose radiation (LDR) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Performs radiation surveys of patients exposed to radioactive sources; regularly performs radiation surveys of treatment rooms.
• Calibrates various therapy machines, measures instruments against national standards, and measures therapy beam data for treatment planning purposes. Leads and facilitates the troubleshooting process, works collaboratively with Medical Engineers. Operates and performs quality assurance (QA) on equipment as required.
• Writes specifications and commissions therapy equipment and accessories and designs new techniques and ancillary equipment. Performs and oversees commissioning and acceptance testing for therapies and accessories, and for standardizing equipment calibration.
• Collaborates with other senior staff to develop and maintain a QA program for departmental treatment modalities and imaging devices. Works with Physicians to gather data, analyze outcomes and develop new processes and protocols. Develops, implements and oversees the department radiation safety policies.
• Tracks and monitors data or parameters directly affecting patient dose and verifies algorithms used in pertinent dose calculations. Enters and validates data in treatment planning systems. Performs data collection and provides benchmark information for Institute, National and International protocols; performs physics measurements and oversight for special procedures and leads special programs as assigned.
• Consults with Radiation Oncologists and Physicians on target delineation, modeling and treatment planning.
• Establishes processes and procedures for acquiring high quality images for treatment planning and treatment delivery; monitors and measures the performance of all imaging equipment.
• Develops and implements new techniques for treatment delivery, and assists with designing and modifying radiotherapy treatment rooms to incorporate radiation protection standards required by national protocols; makes recommendations regarding acquisition and implementation for major equipment and supportive technology.
• Provides education lectures to staff therapists and associated allied staff and provides mandatory radiation safety training. Assists with accreditation process, departmental QA activities, and radiation safety committee as assigned; leads the development of a new competency or assists in completion of competencies for other staff.
• Ensures compliance with all state and federal regulating and accrediting bodies.
• Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs, and to provide the care needed as described in the department's policies and procedures. Age-specific information is developed further in the departmental job standards.

Licensure, Registration, and/or Certification Required

• Medical Physicist certification issued by the American Board of Medical Physics (ABMP), or
• Medical Physicist (CMP-ABR) certification issued by The American Board of Radiology (ABR), or
• Medical Physicist (CMP-CCPM) certification issued by The Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine (CCPM).

Education Required

• Master's Degree in Medical Physics or related field.

Experience Required

• Typically requires 3 years of experience in in a Medical Physicist Oncology position. Proton therapy experience is highly desired.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required

• Advanced knowledge of treatment units and simulators and awareness of treatment unit's limitations in clinical situations.
• Advanced knowledge of acceptance testing, commissioning and calibration of linacs, simulators and brachytherapy sources, clinical dosimetry of external beams and implant sources, patient setup, computerized treatment planning for special procedures that may include: HDR, LDR, total body irradiation (TBI), stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic radiotherapy, gamma knife and cyberknife.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with physicians, staff, patients and their families.
• Excellent problem solving abilities and analytical skills to compare data.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Must lift up to 20 lbs. frequently and up to 50 lbs. occasionally.
• May push up to 500 lbs. 50 to 200 feet.
• Exposed to mechanical, electrical, and radiation hazards.
• Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job.
• Exposed to a normal office environment.

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.