As part of the effort to support excellent patient care and safety, a new medical physics program has been implemented and is now in place at LLUMC-Murrieta. The Office of Radiation Safety, a Loma Linda University Shared Services department under Risk Management, developed and implemented the program for the hospital and out-patient services.
Employee and patient safety are the primary focus of the Office of Radiation Safety. The office has recently “updated and implemented a program to ensure compliance governing the use of radioactive materials in health care,” explains Cal Glisson, Director of Radiation Safety. This program will provide training to patient care personnel and will assist clinical departments in development of procedures for medical use of radioactive materials.
Cal Glisson explains that the department worked together to accomplish a number of goals to execute the program. As part of the effort, Radiation Safety executed annual quality testing of x-ray machines, as well as strategies to monitor and calculate patient radiation dose. The team assisted with the American College of Radiology accreditation, implemented regulatory compliance monitoring, and provided consulting services.
The Office of Radiation Safety provides radiation safety services across the LLU Health entity. Major responsibilities involve management of the laser safety program for LLU Health Care, the maintenance of the institutional Radioactive Material License issued by the State of California, and management of the radiation-generating equipment program.
The Radiation Safety team also provides radioactive waste management, dosimetry badge management, employee training, and other services to the campus. The team, led by Cal Glisson, includes Janel Mikhail, Assistant Radiation Safety Officer; Katharine Fayram, Health Physicist & Laser Safety Officer; Ervin Bannis, Health Physics Technician; and Cheryl Ketchens, Coordinator – Radiation Safety. To learn more about the Office of Radiation Safety, call (909) 651-4003.