Medical Physicist

Location: Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, VA

Work Schedule: The core hours are 0600 – 2000 excluding Federal holidays; typical hours are 0730 through 1600 hours including a thirty (30) minute uncompensated meal break.

Benefits: PTO, holiday leave, Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, Short Term Disability

Optional Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(K) matching with employee participation in 401(K) plan

• Administrative duties which include maintaining equipment performance summary workload report, participating in educational programs, participating in imaging quality assurance functions including diagnostic imaging equipment acceptances and periodic performance evaluations, and performing shielding evaluations and surveys.
• Maintain a level of productivity comparable with that of other diagnostic medical physicists performing similar services.
• Comply with the standards of the Joint Commission, applicable provisions of law, and the rules and regulations of any and all governmental authorities pertaining to licensure and regulation of health care personnel and medical treatment facilities, the regulations and standards of medical practice of the MTF and the bylaws of the MTF’s medical staff. Adhere to and comply with all Department of the Navy, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED), Defense Health Agency (DHA) and local instructions and notices which may be in effect during the term of this Contract.
•  Participate in peer review and performance improvement activities. The Contractor shall actively participate in the command’s performance improvement program by participating in meetings to review and evaluate the care provided to patients, identify opportunities to improve the care delivered, and recommend corrective action when problems exist.
• Practice aseptic techniques as necessary and shall comply with infection control guidelines to include the proper handling, storage, and disposal of infectious wastes, the use of universal precautions to prevent the spread of infections.
• Function with an awareness and application of safety procedures.
• Perform efficiently in emergency patient situations following established protocols, remaining calm, informing appropriate persons, and documenting events. The Contractor shall anticipate potential problems/emergencies and make appropriate interventions. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), regarding problems that it is unable to manage.
• Apply an awareness of legal issues in all aspects of patient care and strive to manage situations in a reduced risk manner.
•  Participate in the implementation of the Family Advocacy Program as directed. Participation shall include, but not be limited to, appropriate medical examination, documentation, and reporting.
• Exercise awareness and sensitivity to patient/significant others' rights, as identified within the institution.
• Maintain an awareness of responsibility and accountability for own professional practice.
• Participate in continuing education to meet own professional growth and support institutional GME and accreditation
• 5.5.3.1.14. Participate in the provision of Graduate Medical Education program (GME) and in-service training to medical center and subordinate clinics staff members to ensure the efficient implementation and use of current and new technology. The Contractor shall provide ongoing medical physics training and/or guidance, as needed, to support Government employees (e.g., hospital corpsmen, residents, students, staff, etc.). The Government will furnish all equipment/supplies required to provide training.
• Consult with staff and patients regarding concerns about radiation exposure, assist physicians in the evaluation of quantitative studies, consult with physicians and other MTF staff members, monitor radiographic examination radiation exposures, and calculate specific organ doses for diagnostic examinations.
• Perform timely, accurate, and concise documentation of equipment performance and radiation level survey results. The Contractor shall maintain documentation of all surveys performed in accordance with department directives, and prepare such records and reports as may be required. All records and reports shall be legible. Abbreviations shall be only those listed in Navy Medicine instructions.
• Operate and manipulate automated systems such as Composite Health Care System (CHCS), Armed Forces Health Longitudinal technology Application (AHLTA), Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), Patient Dosimetry System (Radimetrics®), and Clinical Information System (CIS), and participate in clinical staff Performance Improvement (PI) and Risk Management (RM) functions, as prescribed by the Commanding Officer. The Contractor shall maintain a Department of Defense (DoD) email account. The Contractor shall be responsive to all email and voicemail communications.
• As commensurate with the position, the Contractor shall coordinate tasks and duties of radiation health team members, image quality activities, and equipment performance evaluations.
• Participate in executing the Emergency Preparedness Plan (drills and actual emergencies) as scheduled by the MTF (typically semiannually). The MTF will prepare a personnel re-call list with personal contact information for all military, civil service and contract employees in advance for an actual emergency. Contract employees shall provide personal contact information to the COR upon commencement of services. Should an emergency occur, contract employees shall be contacted with shift information and for accountability purposes
• Be responsible for a full range of clinical medical physicist support duties including: dosimetry support (including fetal, whole body and organ dose estimations); weekly, monthly, and annual quality control checks, annual performance evaluations, and calibrations of medical radiographic units (including dental), mammography units, fluoroscopic units, ultrasound units, computed tomography units (include cone bean CT), magnetic resonance imaging units, nuclear medicine units (including SPECT and PET), and ancillary equipment as necessary. The Contractor shall work closely with the Senior Medical Physicist, PACS Engineering Staff, Biomedical Repair Division and Vendor Service Representatives to ensure that all equipment is maintained in proper working order. Quality control checks, equipment performance evaluations, and shielding reports (shielding design and verification survey) shall be provided to the Senior Medical Physicist within fifteen (15) calendar days of completion.
• Use ionizing radiation and radioisotopes in supporting proper diagnosis, therapy, and medical imaging with externally delivered electromagnetic radiation.
• Provide radiological imaging equipment performance evaluations (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT), ultrasound, fluoroscopy, x-ray units, and nuclear medicine (positron emission tomography (PET)/single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)), calibration, dosimetry, and image quality. The work conducted to meet (and reports submitted to document) this requirement shall include the elements prescribed in the relevant Joint Commission, American College of Radiology, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Defense Health Agency and Navy Medicine documents, instructions, manuals and notices.
• Provide technical and safety advice regarding medical uses of ultrasound and infrared radiation.
• Formulate protection guidance for use of ionizing, non-ionizing, radiofrequency and magnetic radiation in the use of diagnostic imaging equipment at the facility and its associated clinics.
• Work with Picture Archive and Communication (PACS) Engineers to ensure that diagnostic imaging equipment image and patient informatics data are properly shared between the specific imaging modalities and Radiology Information and storage systems RIS/PACS.
• Ensure that the radiation doses and dose rates produced by imaging equipment and radiopharmaceuticals used by physicians during diagnostic imaging is appropriate and consistent with national standards and accrediting body expectations.
• Technically oversee image quality control processes, and provide advice and guidance in support of the Radiology Department’s FDA, Joint Commission and ACR accredited programs.
• Evaluate digital images and test performance of the producing modality to ensure that the full potential of image and quality and fidelity are present.
• Serve as faculty for, and technical advisor to the Steering Committee of NMCP’s Diagnostic Medical Physics Residency Program.  The HCW shall teach principles of medical physics to physicians, medical and physics residents, graduate students, medical students, and technologists by: preparing and delivering lectures, solving problems, generating and grading written examinations, participating in/proctoring laboratory sessions, participating in oral examinations, and mentoring residents during assigned rotations.  The Contractor shall deliver assigned lectures and attend oral examinations on each events’ scheduled dates, complete Medical Physics Residency Rotation Performance Evaluations within fifteen (15) calendar days of resident rotation completion and complete Steering Committee assignments by the date specified in the committee meeting minutes.

Degree: Master's Degree.

Education: Certification. Meet ACR requirements to support accreditation in Mammography, Tomography, Ultrasound. 

Certificate: Possess board certification and maintain acceptable Maintenance of Certification status in a branch of medical physics by an appropriate certifying agency sanctioned by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP) or be licensed to practice medical physics by an appropriate jurisdiction sanctioned by the CAMPEP. Meet Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements (21 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) 900.12) to perform mammography equipment performance evaluations and surveys. Be able to qualify as a Diagnostic Imaging Systems Performance Surveyor and Shielding Expert under BUMEDINST 6470.22B and its DHA successor directives. American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) or American Red Cross Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers or American Heart Association or American Red Cross Healthcare Provider Course.

Experience: Possess a minimum of five (5) years of experience within the preceding seven (7) years as a Diagnostic Medical Physicist in a hospital setting. Possess at least one (1) year experience within the preceding three (3) years working with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standards, and the function, maintenance, and quality control of Picture Archive and Communication Systems (PACS). Additionally, contract employees shall possess an understanding of how these ancillary systems affect image quality, radiology workflow/productivity efficiency, and the unintended demands PACS place on radiological imaging modalities.

Kako'o Services

Kako'o Services is a premier provider of healthcare workers to various military treatment facilities across the United States. With a corporate office in Honolulu, Hawaii and recruiting office in San Antonio, Texas we specialize in providing skilled, trained and highly successful healthcare workers, including RNs, CRNAs, Physicians, LPN/LVN, Licensed Social Workers, and many more.

We have a strong focus on providing our government customers with quality and superior service.

Kako'o Services is an equal opportunity employer and Minorities, Females, Veterans, and Disabled persons are encouraged to apply. For further information, please click the link below to view the EEO Is The Law poster.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.

Only qualified individuals who are being considered will be contacted for an interview.