Quality & Safety Program
Radiation Oncology’s Quality & Safety Program oversees issues related to equipment and provisions, places and facilities, policies, procedures, people, communication, and those we serve (patients/families). This program makes timely recommendations for corrective and/or preventative actions, consistent with the highest quality and safety standards and clinical operations standards to achieve improved outcomes for our patients.
Our quality assurance process
Patients treated in Radiation Oncology benefit from many checks and balances done on radiation plans prior to treatment. Once a treatment plan is developed by the dosimetrist, the physician reviews the plan to ensure all healthy tissue is spared as much as possible while still giving the correct radiation dose to the target. The plan is then reviewed by our physics team, which ensures all data will properly transfer to our treatment machines and double-checks that the designed radiation plan meets the goals of the physician. The therapists that deliver the radiation also review the plan so that they are well prepared when the patient arrives.
Our machines that deliver radiation are checked daily by the therapists and then also undergo extensive testing on a monthly and annual basis by our radiation physics team.
Commitment for continuous process improvement
We heavily invest in process improvement initiatives that improve patient care, help our facilities run more efficiently and increase staff satisfaction. Safety and compliance are also at the forefront of deciding upon these initiatives and all departments and staff are encouraged to participate in quality improvement projects.
As mandated by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), residents and fellows are required to develop initiatives to promote safety in the workplace through designated radiation oncology clinical quality improvement projects with the guidance and supervision of the Program Director and the Office of Graduate Medical Education (OGME).
Our safety culture
It is the policy of MD Anderson to provide high-quality patient care with patient safety as the highest priority. MD Anderson encourages anyone (including patients and family members) to communicate freely in support of patient safety and take action if necessary.
Patient Safety and Quality Officers
Grace Smith M.D., Ph.D.
Deputy Division Head for Quality and Safety, Division of Radiation Oncology
Mary Frances McAleer, M.D., Ph.D.
Patient Safety Quality Officer
Department of Central Nervous System Radiation Oncology
Valerie Reed, M.D.
Patient Safety Quality Officer
Department of Radiation Oncology
Department of Breast Radiation Oncology
Grace Li Smith, M.D., Ph.D.
Patient Safety Quality Officer
Department of Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology
Henry Mok, M.D., Ph.D.
Patient Safety Quality Officer
Department of Genitourinary Radiation Oncology
Aileen Chen, M.D.
Patient Safety Quality Officer
Department of Thoracic Radiation Oncology
Prasamsa Pandey, A.P.R.N.
Patient Safety Quality Officer, APP
Department of Radiation Oncology
Kevin Casey, M.S.
Patient Safety Quality Officer, HALs Associate
Department of Radiation Physics
Paige Nitsch M.S., D.A.B.R.
Patient Safety Quality Officer
Department of Radiation Physics
Deborah Schofield, Ph.D.
Patient Safety Quality Officer, ACB Associate
Department of Radiation Physics