Chief Radiation Therapist
El Paso Cancer Treatment Centers
US Oncology
El Paso, Texas

The Rottman Group has been retained by the very progressive El Paso Cancer Treatment Centers in El Paso , TX to find a Chief Radiation Therapist.  This is a very busy, 8-physician, 2-location oncology practice providing both medical and radiation treatment services.


El Paso Cancer Treatment Centers

This is a practice that has recently started IMRT.  They would like to continue to investigate the most cutting edge treatment options and want a Chief Radiation Therapist who can lead this program development.  There are two radiation oncologists who work at both locations and they are currently recruiting a third.  The radiation oncology practice currently averages 100 treatments per day with a 60/40 split between locations.  El Paso Cancer Treatment Center sees approximately 20 new patients each day.  They have approximately 60% market share for oncology services in El Paso .  The practice is also part of Texas Oncology P.A (TOPA), which in turn is part of U.S. Oncology (see below). 

Even though this is part of two larger organizations, each practice within both TOPA and U.S. Oncology is operated separately and has its own unique identity and culture.  You will find one here that has a very positive past, a bump in the road while the last administrator was there, and now a renewal of positive leadership and a great culture.

There is a continual commitment to enhancing treatment services with the latest and best technology available.


The Role

This person will take a lead role in the clinical program development of the practice.  The physicians are very supportive and want to be able to offer their patients the very best of care using the very best equipment/methodologies.   This person will be responsible for the systems, policy/procedures of treatment programs as well as the training and development of the group of radiation therapists.  There are currently 10 radiation therapists.  This group of therapists needs both a leader and a motivator.  This person should have a desire  and vision that enables the organization to stay progressive and proactive, then be able to translate that motivation to the staff.

As a side note, under the last administrator, there were several staff therapists who left the organization; the culture had much room for improvement.  Lisa Fox-Soreff is the new administrator who was recruited and started earlier this year.  She had previously and very successfully managed an oncology practice in Florida.  The best way to sum up the difference is the fact that several therapists have come back to work here.  This person will have a great, high-energy, enthusiastic, supportive, and very capable administrator that they will report to and work with.

There are opportunities for this person to enhance the operations of this department through better scheduling and operational leadership.  This person also needs to possess good physician-relation skills.  There are logistical challenges with staffing two different locations and scheduling therapist coverage.

U.S. Oncology

There are several advantages to being part of U.S. Oncology.  Corporately based in Houston, U.S. Oncology is indirectly the largest provider of cancer treatment services in the United States.  In total, the U.S. Oncology network consists of over 875 physicians in 450 sites of service, including 76 cancer centers in 30 states.  There are more than one half million cancer patients cared for by U.S. Oncology affiliated physicians each year; over 15% of all newly diagnosed cancer cases in the U.S. 

With this unparalleled national scale, U.S. Oncology is advancing the delivery of high-quality oncology care in many ways:

• Accelerating the pace of cancer research by accruing patients to clinical trials, allowing more patients to have access to new procedures and therapies.

• Bringing state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment technologies to local towns and cities. They  are leveraging economies-of-scale to reduce health-care costs.

• Working with patient advocacy groups to drive public-policy efforts.

Because of this synergistic relationship, each practice has access to capital for the latest equipment, clinical data-sharing for best practices, information technology, and other resources.  At the same time, each practice retains and has its own unique culture and dynamics.