Health Physicist (Assistant Radiation Safety Officer)

About the role

This position is primarily responsible for serving as a subject matter expert for the Radiation Safety Service to ensure that safety is maintained, policy is implemented, and that compliance with regulations is occurring. Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation is employed in the acquisition of medical images. The BVAHCS makes extensive use of radioactive material and machine sources of ionizing radiation in both the diagnosis and treatment of disease in the veteran population.

Responsibilities

Designs, establishes, and implements written policies and procedures for a Radiation Safety Program encompassing the clinical and research use of radionuclides and machine-made radiation, which includes the use of new imaging and treatment modalities, to ensure safety and compliance with radioactive material permits under the VHA Master Materials License, all applicable regulations, VHA directives, and Medical Center policies. Conducts periodic reviews and audits of areas where radionuclides and machine-made radiation are used. Provides radiological physics support for Medical Center activities involving the use of medical radiation in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. This support encompasses the establishment and management, under the direction of the Radiation Safety Officer, of a Radiation Safety Program. The components of this program include authorizations for individuals using radionuclides, the enforcement of regulatory requirements, personnel dosimetry, surveys, and training. Responds to radiation incidents involving patients, employees, or visitors and takes appropriate corrective action(s) as a subject matter expert in order to mitigate/minimize the impact to the individuals and the facility. Evaluates radiation exposures to patients, employees, and visitors and makes appropriate recommendations as a subject matter expert in order to ensure that they are mitigated or are as infrequently occurring as practicable. Reports exposures and recommendations to the Radiation Safety Committee. Determines when incidents are required to be reported to agencies outside of the VA and completes the required reports. Advises researchers on the unusual, complex, and critical problems that they encounter when they review and recommend changes to experimental procedures, and when they respond to emergencies involving radioactive materials and x-ray producing equipment. Instructs personnel in use of monitoring equipment, safe laboratory practices, decontamination methods, etc. Provide initial education and training to new employees regarding safety procedures for all personnel using radioactive materials and or radiation producing equipment and continuous training to existing employees including physicians, nursing, biomedical engineers, technologists, etc. Leads and maintain the radiation safety PPE programs for all medical center staff including affiliated residency programs and contracted personnel. Oversee a rigorous fluoroscopic x-ray user credentialing program in accordance with VHA Directive 1105.04.

Quality Assurance

Coordinates with providers in developing and implementing quality assurance programs to ensure that imaging and treatment uses of radioactive material and machine produced radiation are optimum for patient care, and that employees, patients, and visitors are protected. Maintains compliance with regulations and best practices. Provides radiological physics support for Medical Center activities involving the use of medical radiation in imaging. This support encompasses the establishment and management, under the direction of the Radiation Safety Officer, of a comprehensive quality assurance program for diagnostic imaging equipment. This program includes/involves acceptance testing of new imaging equipment, the testing of equipment annually and after major repairs, daily and monthly tests by imaging technologists, recommending and implementing corrective actions based on those tests, evaluating image quality, evaluating protocols for computerized tomography in order to assist radiologists in optimizing image quality versus radiation exposure, and evaluating the overall program in order to determine its effectiveness and recommend and implement improvements.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/16/2026.