Diagnostic Radiation Physics Services (DRPS) provides comprehensive diagnostic medical physics and radiation safety consulting to healthcare facilities throughout Los Angeles and the greater Southern California region. Los Angeles County—bordered by Orange County to the southeast, San Bernardino County to the east, Kern County to the north, and Ventura County to the northwest—anchors one of the country's largest and most complex healthcare markets. DRPS supports imaging centers, outpatient radiology facilities, multi-site hospital systems, and specialty clinics across Los Angeles County and into neighboring Orange, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties.
Medical Physics Services in Los Angeles
DRPS delivers a full suite of diagnostic imaging physics and radiation safety services to Los Angeles–area facilities:
- Equipment Performance Evaluations (EPEs): Annual and as-needed physics testing for radiographic, fluoroscopic, mammographic, CT, and MRI equipment to confirm performance meets applicable standards and accreditation requirements.
- Radiation Shielding Design & Certification: Primary and secondary barrier calculations for new construction and facility renovations, including post-construction verification surveys and written certification letters signed by a board-certified medical physicist.
- Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) Services: Named RSO coverage for facilities licensed to possess radioactive materials, including program administration, staff training, dosimetry oversight, and regulatory correspondence.
- Accreditation Support: Physics testing, image quality reviews, and documentation preparation for ACR, IAC, RadSite, and Joint Commission accreditation programs.
- CT Physics Testing: Comprehensive CT performance evaluations covering dose, image quality, and scanner calibration—aligned with ACR CT accreditation requirements.
- PET/CT & Nuclear Medicine Physics: Acceptance testing, annual performance evaluations, and radiation safety support for PET/CT systems, SPECT cameras, and radiopharmaceutical programs.
- Quality Assurance Programs: Facility-wide QA program design, physicist consultation, and ongoing support to sustain compliance between formal evaluation cycles.
California Radiation Regulations
California is an NRC Agreement State—the state entered into an agreement with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (the NRC predecessor) in 1962 and assumed regulatory authority over radioactive materials within its borders. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Radiologic Health Branch (RHB) is the state radiation control agency responsible for:
- Radioactive materials licensing: Facilities using radioactive materials (PET tracers, nuclear medicine radiopharmaceuticals, brachytherapy sources) hold licenses issued by CDPH-RHB rather than directly by the NRC.
- X-ray machine registration: All diagnostic X-ray equipment in California must be registered with CDPH-RHB. Facilities are subject to periodic state inspection.
- Mammography: In addition to state registration, mammography facilities must comply with federal MQSA requirements enforced through FDA-approved accreditation bodies.
Los Angeles–area facilities also operate under national accreditation standards from the ACR, IAC, RadSite, and The Joint Commission. DRPS maintains current working knowledge of CDPH-RHB requirements and ensures physics deliverables—shielding reports, EPE reports, and RSO documentation—align with California-specific formats and submission expectations.
Why Los Angeles Facilities Choose DRPS
Los Angeles presents a distinct operational environment: high patient volumes, a dense network of independent outpatient imaging centers alongside large multi-campus health systems, and rigorous state-level oversight through CDPH-RHB. DRPS brings board-certified diagnostic medical physicists (DABR) with experience across modalities and regulatory contexts—providing consistent, documented physics support that holds up under accreditation review and state inspection alike.
Multi-site operators in the LA market benefit from coordinated scheduling and standardized report formats across all locations. Facilities pursuing ACR, IAC, or RadSite accreditation receive physics testing and documentation prepared specifically for submission—not generic reports that require significant internal rework.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counties does DRPS cover from the Los Angeles area? DRPS serves facilities throughout Los Angeles County and extends coverage into Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties. Contact us to confirm scheduling availability for your specific location.
Does DRPS handle California CDPH-RHB registration for X-ray equipment? DRPS provides the physics documentation and certifications that California facilities need for CDPH-RHB compliance—including shielding certification letters and EPE reports. Administrative registration filings with CDPH-RHB are the responsibility of the facility, but DRPS can advise on what documentation is required.
What accreditation programs does DRPS support in Los Angeles? DRPS supports ACR accreditation (mammography, CT, MRI, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, PET), IAC accreditation, RadSite accreditation, and Joint Commission survey preparation. Physics testing is performed by board-certified physicists and reports are formatted to meet each program's submission requirements.
Can DRPS serve as named RSO for a Los Angeles facility with a California radioactive materials license? Yes. DRPS provides named RSO services for facilities licensed under California's Agreement State program. The scope of RSO coverage is defined in a service agreement and scaled to the facility's licensed materials and operations.
How does DRPS support CT dose optimization in California? Our physicists perform CT performance evaluations that include dose index review, protocol assessment, and scanner calibration verification. We can advise on dose reduction opportunities as part of ACR CT accreditation support or as a standalone engagement.