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IGRT Installation Times Cut in Half
As they pondered adding sophisticated new technology from Varian Medical Systems, the principals at NY Radiation Associates didn't want to underestimate the time it would take to add an On-Board Imager® (OBI) device to their existing linear accelerator. Timing, they reasoned, would be crucial to the success of any effort that enabled implementation of image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT).
Fortunately for Jack Dalton, M.D., and his partner, Roberto Lipsztein, M.D., just as they were considering how their practice might fare during the downtime, Varian made an exciting announcement: every effort would now be made to install On-Board Imager devices within 5 to 10 clinical days — cutting installation times in half.
"We were originally looking at upgrading over several weeks, which wouldn't have been optimal but we probably could have lived with it," said Dr. Dalton, whose clinic is situated in Queens, New York. "When Varian announced the reduced schedule, it provided us with a huge opportunity to reduce the amount of downtime we needed to anticipate."
An OBI upgrade requires that specific preparatory tasks be completed at the customer site prior to commencement of the installation. Varian project managers work closely with each customer to ensure that all necessary preparations take place so that installations can proceed successfully within the accelerated timeframe.
A Mutual Commitment to Success
In the weeks before the installation, the Varian team assessed the Clinac system's performance; upgraded the Oncology Information System and the Clinac software; mechanically prepared the Clinac for the OBI device; replaced the gantry drive assembly and motors transformer, and verified that all needed equipment had arrived onsite.
To shorten the time required for these installations, Varian undertook a systematic study of the company's operations around the world, focusing on best practices that resulted in the fastest, smoothest installations. These successful labor processes were analyzed and broken down to identify ways to save time by managing in parallel what had previously been serial tasks. The new processes were then formalized and adopted on a worldwide basis.
At NY Radiation, where Drs. Dalton and Lipsztein treat about 35 patients per day, patients were shifted off site for treatment at facilities in Manhattan and the Bronx, and some were scheduled for treatment on weekends.
"The upgrade was a challenge, as we only had the one accelerator," Dr. Dalton said. "A big concern was making sure our staff and patients got to and from the off-site clinics, something that required considerable coordination."
According to Dr. Dalton, the entire installation process went as smoothly as possible — something he attributed to the remarkable teamwork and cooperative spirit exhibited by his staff and Varian. "Collaboration was the key," he said. "Having everything completed at our end by the time Varian arrived for the installation, and also having all the parts on hand, was essential. In the end, the installation was finished a week early. I was absolutely thrilled and delighted."
"Varian prepared us extremely well for the upgrade, and things went perfectly," Dalton adds. "Not kind of perfectly, not sort of perfectly. They went absolutely perfectly."
Upgrade Solutions Group
North America
Tel: 1.866.250.2621
upgrades@varian.com
Events
- 01/09/2009 - 01/10/2009
Radiation Therapists Commissioned Training - 01/15/2009 - 01/17/2009
ASCO GI (Gastrointestinal) Cancers Symposium - 01/15/2009 - 01/18/2009
RTOG (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group) - 01/19/2009
SCC AAPM Midwinter Symposium (Southern California Chapter)
