Medical Physics Residency – Diagnostic Radiological Physics Faculty
Director, Radiation Physics/Safety
AHN Radiation Safety Officer
AHN MR Safety Officer
Location
Allegheny General Hospital
Radiation Physics/Safety
Allegheny Health Network
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Biography
Ms. Blackwood joined West Penn Hospital, an Allegheny Health Network (AHN) facility, as the Director of Radiation Physics/Safety and Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) in 1990. In 2010, Radiation Physics/Safety Department began supporting all AHN facilities. Prior to this, she was the Director or Radiation Physics and RSO at Montefiore Hospital in Pittsburgh PA. She is a member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Past-President of the Penn-Ohio Chapter of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Health Physics Society.
Education
Ms. Blackwood received her master’s degree in Radiological Health from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. She is certified by the American Board of Radiology in Therapeutic Radiological Physics and Diagnostic Radiological Physics (1983).
Senior Radiation Physicist
Director of the Diagnostic Residency Physics Program
Assistant Professor of Radiological Science, Drexel University College of Medicine
Location
Allegheny General Hospital
Radiation Physics/Safety Office
Allegheny Health Network
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Biography
Mr. Blodgett joined Allegheny Health Network as a Director of Outreach Physics in Department of Radiation Oncology 2001. In 2019, he transferred to the Radiation Physics/Safety Office as a Senior Radiation Physicist. Prior to this, he held a medical physicist position at the University of Pittsburgh/UPMC. He is a member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and Past-President of the Penn-Ohio Chapter of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.
Education
Mr. Blodgett received his Master’s degree in Radiological Physics from Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan. He is certified by the American Board of Radiology in Therapeutic Radiological Physics (1989) and Diagnostic Radiological Physics (1999).
Senior Radiation Physicist
Location
Allegheny General Hospital
Radiation Physics/Safety Office
Allegheny Health Network
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Biography
Mr. Jarosz joined Allegheny Health Network in 2013 as Sr Radiation Physicist. Prior to the current appointment, he was Sr Medical Physicist & Advisor to President, OncologyMed, Inc (2011-2013), Sr VP & Director of Physics, OncologyMed, Inc (2007-2011) , Sr VP & Director of Physics, CPRS, Inc (1998-2007), Regional Director of Physics, Oncology Services Corp (1992-1998) and Radiological Physicist, St. Francis Hospital, Radiation Therapy and Nuclear Medicine, (1972-1992). He is a member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.
Education
Mr. Jarosz received his Master’s degree in Radiological Physics from Carnegie-Mellon University (1976). He is certified by the American Board of Radiology in Radiological Physics (1978).
Senior Radiation Physicist
Location
Allegheny General Hospital
Radiation Physics/Safety Office
Allegheny Health Network
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Biography
Dr. Khammang joined Allegheny Health Network as a Senior Radiation Physicist in Department of Radiation Physics/Safety in July 2024. He is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical Physics Certificate program (2022) and is a member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. Prior to entering the field of medical physics, his PhD centered on investigated the physical properties of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals utilizing magnetometry with a superconducting quantum interference device and various x-ray techniques such as in x-ray absorption spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and x-ray photoelectric spectroscopy.
Education
Dr. Alex Khammang, our inaugural resident, completed his two year residency training in Diagnostic Medical Physics from Allegheny Health Network (2024). Alex obtained his certificate in medical physics from Virginia Commonwealth University (2022) after earning his PhD in physics from the University of Maine (2020). Both his MS (2014) and BS (2012) degrees in physics and applied physics were done at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Senior Radiation Physicist
Location
Allegheny General Hospital
Radiation Physics/Safety Office
Allegheny Health Network
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Biography
Dr. Valaparla joined Allegheny Health Network as a Senior Radiation Physicist in Department of Radiation Physics/Safety in September 2022. Prior to this, he held medical physicist positions at Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC and University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN. He is a member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and American College of Radiology.
Education
Dr. Valaparla received his PhD degree in Radiological Sciences from University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio Texas, and MS degree in Physics from University of Texas at El Paso. He is certified by the American Board of Radiology in Diagnostic Medical Physics (2018), by American Board of Magnetic Resonance Safety in MR Safety Expert (2020), and by American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine in Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation (2021).
Deputy Radiation Safety Officer
Manager, Radiation Physics/Safety
Location
Allegheny General Hospital
Radiation Physics/Safety Office
Allegheny Health Network
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Biography
Ms. McGuirk helped establish West Penn Hospital’s Division of Radiation Physics/Safety in 1990. In 2010, she joined the newly created system-wide Radiation Physics/Safety Office for Allegheny Health Network. Prior to this, she worked in the Radiation Safety Office at Montefiore Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA.
Education
Ms. McGuirk earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University.
Assistant Radiation Physicist
Dosimetry Coordinator
Location
Allegheny General Hospital
Radiation Physics/Safety Office
Allegheny Health Network
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Biography
Ms. Colwell joined Allegheny Health Network as a Student Radiographer in 1995 and then transferred to a Staff Nuclear Medicine Technologist in 1998. In 2006, she was then promoted to Chief Nuclear Medicine Technologist at Allegheny Valley Hospital. In 2016, she transferred to the Radiation Physics/Safety Office as an Assistant Radiation Physicist.
Education
Ms. Colwell received her certifications in Radiologic Technology at Allegheny Valley Hospital and Nuclear Medicine Technology from the Community College of Allegheny County and completed her Bachelors degree in Allied Health Leadership from Pennsylvania Western University Clarion (formerly Clarion University of Pennsylvania) in 2016. She is certified by the American Registry of Radiologist Technologists and the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board.
Assistant Radiation Physicist
Location
Allegheny General Hospital
Radiation Physics/Safety Office
Allegheny Health Network
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Biography
Mr. DiBenedetto joined Allegheny Health Network as an Assistant Radiation Physicist in 2012. Prior to this, he worked for Trinity Health System as a staff CT Technologist and Oncology Med as a Brachytherapy Specialist.
Education
Mr. DiBenedetto received his Bachelor degree in Radiologic Imaging and Technology from Kent State University in Ohio (2008). He is registered with the ARRT (Radiography) (CT Scan) and the NMTCB (Radiation Safety).
Assistant Radiation Physicist
Location
Allegheny General Hospital
Radiation Physics/Safety Office
Allegheny Health Network
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Biography
Ms. Rice joined Allegheny Health Network as a Staff Nuclear Medicine Technologist in 2008. In 2015 she transferred to the Radiation Physics/Safety office as a Radiation Physicist Assistant. She is a member of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Pittsburgh Chapter. She has also been an item writer for the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board for Computed Tomography.
Education
Ms. Rice received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Medicine from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She also holds a certificate in Computed Tomography from the Community College of Allegheny County. She is certified in Nuclear Medicine (2008) and Radiation Safety (2019) by the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board and in Nuclear Medicine (2008) and Computed Tomography (2013) by the American Registry or Radiologic Technologists.
Radiation Physics Technician
Location
Allegheny General Hospital
Radiation Physics/Safety Office
Allegheny Health Network
Pittsburgh PA 15212
Biography
Terry has been an employee of Allegheny Health Network for 40 years. Terry came to Radiation Physics/Safety in 2007 after spending 25 years in interventional radiology as an aide. Terry supports all aspects of the radiation safety program. From making sure all the survey meters are calibrated on time, dose calibrator quality control, assisting in Y90 procedures and being a great co-worker.
Terry Trained at Oak Ridge Tennessee in the Radiation Safety Professional Training Program at Oak Ridge Associated Universities.