Diagnostic Medical Physicist (M89500)

Diagnostic Medical Physicist (M89500)

Department of Radiology - VCU Health - Richmond, VA

Summary: We are seeking a board-certified or board-eligible diagnostic medical physicist to join our team in providing support for all major imaging modalities at VCU Health, a large academic medical center located in Richmond, Virginia, along with two community hospitals (VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital and VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital) and affiliated outpatient imaging centers.

Department Summary: The mission of the Department of Radiology is to create a world-class department by providing optimal care in a patient-centered environment, providing sub-specialty expertise, providing top quality imaging and therapeutic procedures, and to advance medical education and research, with a vision to create a department that is recognized as top tier nationally and internationally.

Duties & Responsibilities:

The Division of Diagnostic Medical Physics in the Department of Radiology at VCU Health is seeking a clinically oriented Diagnostic Medical Physicist to join our team of 3 diagnostic imaging physicists and 1 nuclear medicine physicist. The successful candidate will provide comprehensive imaging physics support across VCU Health’s hospitals and outpatient sites and contribute to our clinical, educational, and quality/safety missions. Academic rank and compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. 

Responsibilities:

• Clinical / Quality / Regulatory
  • Provide diagnostic medical physics support for all major imaging modalities, including:
    • General radiography, fluoroscopy, interventional radiology, and mobile C-arms, CT, Mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), MRI, and ultrasound
  • Perform acceptance testing, commissioning, and periodic performance evaluations of diagnostic imaging equipment in accordance with state and federal regulations, ACR/MQSA/TJC requirements, and institutional policies. 
  • Develop, implement, and maintain quality assurance programs for imaging systems, including oversight of technologist-performed QC and use of enterprise QC management tools.
  • Support and advise clinical staff on radiation safety, imaging protocols, CT dose optimization and tracking, fluoroscopic dose management, and MRI safety.
  • Perform shielding design and evaluation for new or renovated imaging suites and verify compliance with applicable national standards and Virginia regulations. 
  • Prepare and maintain documentation to demonstrate compliance with:
    • The Joint Commission (TJC)
    • ACR accreditation programs (CT, mammography, MRI, ultrasound, nuclear medicine/PET, as applicable)
    • FDA, MQSA, and state (VDH) regulatory requirements.

• Education / Training
  • Participate in the didactic and clinical education of:
    • Diagnostic radiology residents
    • Graduate students in the CAMPEP-accredited Medical Physics program
    • Medical physics residents (as applicable)
    • Technologists and other clinical staff (e.g., modality-specific QC, dose optimization, and radiation safety in imaging). 
    • Contribute to curriculum development and formal course teaching in diagnostic medical physics as appropriate.

• Research / Scholarly Activity
  • Collaborate with radiology, medical physics, and other departments on clinically focused imaging and radiation safety research projects, quality improvement initiatives, and protocol optimization studies. 
  • Mentor residents, fellows, and graduate students in scholarly projects when feasible.
  • While this is a primarily clinical position, opportunities exist to participate in funded or unfunded research consistent with departmental priorities and candidate interest.

• Service
  • Participate in departmental, School of Medicine, and health-system committees related to imaging quality, radiation safety, and accreditation. 
  • Contribute to professional organizations and continuing education activities as appropriate.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree (M.S.) in Medical Physics, Radiological Physics, or a closely related discipline. 
• Board certification in Diagnostic Radiological Physics / Diagnostic Medical Physics by the American Board of Radiology (ABR) or equivalent upon hire, or board eligible with the expectation of achieving certification within 2 years of hire. 
• Demonstrated clinical experience in diagnostic medical / imaging physics in a hospital or health-system environment, including routine QA, acceptance testing, and regulatory/accreditation support. 
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.
• Eligibility for permanent employment in the United States.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. or D.Sc. in Medical Physics or related field. 
• ABR certification in Nuclear Medical Physics or equivalent, and/or substantial experience supporting nuclear medicine and PET imaging programs (strong plus, but not required).
• MQSA-qualified medical physicist with experience in mammography and DBT clinical programs.
• Experience with ACR accreditation processes for CT, mammography, MRI, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine, and familiarity with state and federal regulatory requirements for diagnostic imaging equipment. 
• Experience with enterprise radiation dose monitoring, CT protocol management, and radiation safety program support.
• Programming and data-analysis skills (e.g., MATLAB, Python, or similar) for protocol optimization, dose tracking, and image quality assessment.

#LI-AC1

Richmond is centrally located in the Mid-Atlantic region along the East Coast. With easy access to Washington D.C., the Atlantic Ocean, and the Blue Ridge Mountains, this River City is consistently top ranked for its rich history, charm, lower cost of living, outdoor adventure, trendy restaurants, breweries, wineries, upscale shopping, and world class museums.

With the James River flowing through the heart of City and the mild climate, Richmonders take full advantage of the area’s events, public gardens, festivals, and athletic activities. The area boasts a wide variety of arts, culture and entertainment. Among the numerous historical landmarks, you will also find beautiful theaters, concert venues,  ballet, museums including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond Children’s Museum, Science Museum of Virginia, and the Richmond International Raceway, to name a few.

Richmond has something for everyone. It’s family friendly, dog friendly, and there is never a shortage of things to do. Whether you want to live downtown, Church Hill, Shockoe Bottom, Forest Hill, The Fan, or the suburbs of the West End or Chesterfield County, each Richmond neighborhood is unique making it an attractively-sized and very livable city.

Welcome to VCU Health l MCV Physicians, the medical practice of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. As part of VCU’s School of Medicine, our physicians provide quality patient care services, teach the next generation of physicians, and conduct important research. VCU’s Massey Cancer Center is an NCI-designated Cancer Center and Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU Health is the region’s full-service children’s hospital.

We are over 900 physicians and 19 clinical departments providing services at various sites in Virginia, including VCU Medical Center — Richmond, VA – the region’s comprehensive Level 1 Trauma Center, verified in adult, pediatric, and burn trauma care. VCU Medical Center integrates hospitals, clinical care facilities, health sciences schools and medical research.

Our physician-driven, patient-centered care model reflects the values and vision of an outstanding integrated academic practice.

VCU Health has consistently ranked high in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals study in the state and metro Richmond area. Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU continues to expand inpatient and outpatient services, as well as the new Virginia Treatment Center for Children, opened in 2018, serving as a beacon of hope for families seeking mental health services. We are proud that VCU Health has twice achieved Magnet® designation.  We are honored to be recognized by Working Mother magazine’s “100 Best” for work/life balance and integration. Since 2006, the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce has consistently named VCU Health an Area Employer of Choice. You won’t find a more appreciative organization to work for, nor better people to work with.

Virginia Commonwealth University is an urban university with over 32,000 students located in Richmond, Virginia, two hours south of Washington D.C. As one of the nation’s top research universities it attracts more than $255 million a year in sponsored research funding. Twenty-seven VCU graduate and professional programs rank among the best in the nation in US News & World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools.

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