Kara Collins

Accomplished Medical Dosimetrist with a proven track record at Penn Medicine Pennsylvania Hospital, specializing in complex photon and brachytherapy planning. Renowned for exceptional problem-solving skills and effective communication, ensuring quality assurance and safety in patient care. Demonstrates leadership, reliability and a commitment to achieving excellence as standard.

• Works closely with Network Physics leadership to discuss process improvement as related to the department planning processes including distributed dosimetry.
• Familiar with the distributed dosimetry whiteboard and utilizing Aria home page to evaluate case load with all it's complexities for each dosimetrist in the Penn Network
• Assigns PAH cases on a biweekly schedule including managing case load and care paths for PAH dosimetry. Prior to this I assigned all cases exclusively.
• Works closely with therapy leadership and staff therapists in problem solving and promoting safety as related to patient care.
• Prolific member of the QA/QI committee at Penn Rad Onc for many years. Participating in the groups meeting and working on projects including the "Rad Onc standardized daily patient care huddle and follow up communication project" as a subject matter expert.
• Utilized conditions assigned to me in the Condition Reporting System (CRS) to promote safety in our department. Evaluating the severity of the condition, providing feedback to the reporter and intervening to fix the issue as needed.
• Presented CRS trends to the QA/QI group and senior management and shared conditions at the biweekly dosimetry meeting.
• Founding member of "Quest" at Penn Radiation Oncology. Developed the questions used in a questionnaire that helps evaluate the metrics set forth by the committee. Participated in onsite and remote chart review and performed metric review with the team.
• Founding member of the APEX accreditation team at PAH. Helped evaluate the readiness of our department using APEX guidelines prior to the onsite visit. Participated in the on site review,
• Sole on boarding dosimetrist for a new network hire for approximately 6 months. Reviewed dosimetry policies and procedures and/or training materials in SharePoint. Introduced Core Competency expectations to the trainee and followed a training schedule as provided by Regional Chief of Physics.
• Actively supports Penn VA and other Network dosimetrists with complex planning when the need arises.
• Traveled to network sites to cover as needed.
• Works with PAH physics to test new planning procedures for efficacy.
• Was given accolades for how I handled a JCR surveyor as I presented the planning process from pre-simulation to physics check highlighting the departments robust qa and safety procedures utilized in our work flow.
• Worked on the planning component to get PAH on the RADCOMP trial.
• Developed a department procedure and presented a poster at a AAMD meeting on Rapid Arc treatment planning for anal cancer.
• Implemented APBI ~Accelerated partial breast planning at PAH.
• Participates in the training of the department Medical Physics MS students, Medical and physics residents.

MDCB (Board Certified Medical Dosimetrist)

2008

ARRT (Board Certified Radiation Therapist)

1996