Building a More Efficient Radiation Oncology Team

"The amount of time this has saved my team is immeasurable. The use of Radformation has helped the team to be more productive and focus on creating quality plans."

This month, we’re featuring Shelley Adams, Director of Radiation Oncology, and two of her team members at the busy UCHealth Radiation Oncology-Pueblo. The center opened its doors in October 2022 with a single linear accelerator and quickly added a second machine a year later to accommodate its growing need. The UCHealth network is the largest health system in Colorado, and one thing we gathered is that the team at UCHealth Cancer Center-Pueblo is extremely proud to be part of this network, especially the cancer program.

Diving into the details, Shelley explains, “We have one radiation oncologist, Suraj Singh, who is a delight to work with. We have a strong prostate HDR program and do more of these procedures than anyone else in the state. The process is incredibly streamlined and we have a dynamic team who truly lives and breathes high-quality care for the patients.”

Shelley shares her team’s experience using Radformation solutions and has added a unique spin to this feature by adding testimony from the dosimetrist and physicist on her team. She first explains the impact from her perspective, stating, “Radformation solutions have provided peace of mind in my role as Director.” From contouring to second checks, she feels confident that her team efficiently and effectively provides the best treatment plans to their patients.

From an efficiency standpoint, Shelley comments, “AutoContour stands out in my mind. The amount of time this has saved my team is immeasurable. The use of Radformation by the team has helped the team to be more productive and focus on creating quality plans.”

Nicole Bunda-Randall, UCHealth Pueblo’s medical physicist, highlights Radformation’s “AMAZING customer service and education.” She also raves about AutoContour, ClearCalc’s ease of use for second checks, and how the efficiency solutions built by Radformation have allowed the planning team to focus more on the quality of patient plans.

Mike Sheneman, UCHealth Pueblo’s dosimetrist, previously used a different TPS before joining the team and was glad to hear his new department also carried Radformation. What he wasn’t prepared for was all the functional capabilities that the Radformation suite adds when working in tandem with each other. “I had been under the impression that AutoContour was the best contouring tool on the market, but was happily surprised Radformation also handles second checks in ClearCalc, collision checks in ClearCheck, and 3D planning in EZFluence. I couldn’t believe my luck that I didn’t need to rebuild all my 3D planning skills all over again. EZFluence allowed me to take my knowledge of beam arrangement and block shaping to a whole new level. Once I set up my beam arrangement and blocks, I just continue the process through EZFluence and end up with better plans than I used to manually create, in a matter of minutes. Not only is it a time saver, but the quality of the dose distribution is superior.”

The UCHealth team agrees that the collision check module in ClearCheck is an invaluable tool for every role in the department. From the dosimetry perspective, Mike hails Collision Check as one of his favorite tools. “It is so nice to be able to set up a beam arrangement and evaluate if it collides with the patient. You can even adjust while in the program until your plan is free of collision. It’s fast and has saved me from many potential re-plans.” Shelley shares a real-world example, "During our morning meeting, we were discussing our concern about an electron cone hitting the table. We ran ClearCheck right there to check for collisions and determined that our concern was valid, which allowed the dosimetrist to adjust parameters in order to clear.” This real-time process allowed a quick edit of the plan in question to ensure it wouldn’t collide. From a safety perspective, Shelley has confidence knowing that collisions will be avoided, and if any plans are questionable, they can be caught and replanned instead of waiting to check for potential collisions once a patient is here in the clinic.

One thing is clear: Shelley Adams and her dedicated team at UCHealth Radiation Oncology-Pueblo, embody a commitment to excellence for all of their patients. Their stories highlight the impact of Radformation’s suite of tools in a busy department, not only enhancing the efficiency and quality of patient care but also empowering the team with the confidence to handle challenges with ease. Here’s to another month of outstanding work and the continued success of Shelley and her team in improving lives through cutting-edge technology and compassionate care.

In her free time, Shelley fully immerses herself in the Colorado outdoor lifestyle, making the most of every opportunity to connect with nature and enjoy the beauty of her surroundings. She is passionate about horseback riding and enjoys camping, fishing, hiking, and hunting, each experience fueling her passion for outdoor adventure.