Today is National Medical Dosimetry day! “Medical what?” you might ask.
These talented, hardworking professionals are key members of the radiation oncology team here at Community and at other cancer treatment facilities. They work diligently in the background with your radiation oncology physician to produce the optimal radiation treatment plans to be delivered by your radiation therapist using the treatment machines we have here at the California Cancer Center and at Community Regional Medical Center.
The dosimetrists are highly skilled, having clinical knowledge matched with technical skills. Dosimetrists utilize all of a patient’s imaging studies in conjunction with a CT simulation to collaboratively create treatment plans that meet the physician’s prescribed goals. At California Cancer Center we are lucky to have three of the best dosimetrists in the field working to ensure the highest quality custom radiation therapy and design unique radiation plans for each and every patient. All of our dosimetrists were initially radiation therapists who gained more education and testing to become Certified Medical Dosimetrists (CMD). Let me introduce you to our team:
Julie Scott RT(T), CMD. Julie has 3 decades of experience in radiation therapy, has a passion for learning advances within her field and applying this knowledge at the Cancer Center. Julie has outstanding visions for how radiation oncology should be in the future and is a great resource as we develop a new regional cancer center on the Clovis Community Medical Center campus. Julie is our go to person regarding any new technology and its use. (If you have trouble with a smart phone/tablet – see Julie!) Julie also has a keen eye for Feng Shui, a Chinese philosophical system of harmonizing everyone with the surrounding environment, and this shows in her desk and the layout of our dosimetry lab!
Barry Brooks RT(T), CMD. Barry also has 3 decades of experience in radiation therapy and consistently delivers the highest quality of treatment plans to our doctors for evaluation. Barry’s dedication to the Cancer Center and reliability is legendary; his methodical use of all tools available helps him achieve the goals for each treatment plan. Barry is a Fresno native, and his long service has helped him accrue the largest amount of vacation time to go spend at his family’s favorite spot – Disneyland!
Chad Egly RT(T), CMD. Chad is the newest member to our dosimetry team and recently celebrated his first year with us. To recruit top talent in a very specialized field, a nationwide search was needed to land Chad! Chad completed his dosimetry training at Duke University in North Carolina, so Chad brings with him the latest academic training in the field to the Cancer Center. Chad is hoping to match his two peers in terms of longevity at Community – go Chad!
So on this special day – Aug. 18, 2016, National Medical Dosimetrists Day – we recognize our three outstanding dosimetrists and let them know how much they are appreciated. Let your radiation therapist know if you would like to meet your dosimetrist, the person who helped design the radiation doses and times to help you heal. They’d be thrilled to talk about their work and to see who they are helping with their expertise!
Alec Beach
Manager of Radiation Oncology
California Cancer Center and Community Regional Medical Center