Diagnostic Radiation Physics Services (DRPS) provides medical physics consulting and radiation safety services to healthcare facilities throughout the District of Columbia. Washington, DC is a unique regulatory jurisdiction: unlike the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia, the District is not an NRC Agreement State. DC occupies a compact urban geography bordered by Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland to the north and east, and Arlington and Alexandria in Virginia to the south and west. DRPS serves imaging centers, outpatient radiology practices, hospital imaging departments, federal healthcare facilities, and academic medical affiliates across all eight wards of the District.
Medical Physics Services in Washington DC
DRPS delivers a complete portfolio of diagnostic medical physics services tailored to the regulatory and operational environment of District of Columbia imaging facilities.
Equipment Performance Evaluations (EPEs) — Scheduled and on-demand physics testing for general radiography, fluoroscopy, mammography, CT, PET/CT, nuclear medicine, and bone densitometry (DXA). EPE reports document equipment performance against applicable national standards and the specific regulatory requirements of the DC Department of Health and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Radiation Shielding Design and Certification — Site-specific shielding calculations for new construction, equipment replacements, and facility renovations. DC's dense urban environment — with imaging suites frequently co-located in multi-story office and hospital buildings — demands careful occupancy analysis for floors and suites on multiple levels. DRPS prepares shielding design reports and post-construction radiation surveys with written certification letters acceptable to the DC Department of Health, Radiation Control and Medical Devices Division.
Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) Services — Named RSO services for DC facilities holding NRC radioactive materials licenses, including radiation safety program administration, radiation safety committee support, personnel dosimetry oversight, NRC inspection preparation, and license application and amendment support. Because DC is a non-Agreement State, radioactive materials licenses are issued directly by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC Region I, based in King of Prussia, PA), not by a state agency.
Accreditation Support — Physics testing and documentation for ACR (American College of Radiology), IAC (Intersocietal Accreditation Commission), RadSite, and Joint Commission accreditation programs. DRPS prepares site survey reports, phantom image reviews, and physicist attestations formatted to each accrediting body's requirements.
CT Physics Testing — Comprehensive CT performance evaluations covering image quality, dose metrics (CTDIvol, DLP), scanner calibration, and protocol review. Services fulfill the annual CT physicist survey requirements for ACR CT accreditation and support dose optimization.
PET/CT and Nuclear Medicine Physics — Acceptance testing, annual performance evaluations, and radiation safety oversight for PET/CT systems and nuclear medicine departments, including source calibration verification, uniformity testing, and NRC-compliant radiation safety program support for DC's non-Agreement-State licensing environment.
Quality Assurance Programs — Structured QA program design, physicist oversight, and technologist training to support ongoing compliance between scheduled physics visits.
Washington DC Radiation Regulations
Washington, DC is not an NRC Agreement State. This distinction has direct regulatory consequences for healthcare facilities:
Radioactive materials (including radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine and PET/CT imaging) are licensed directly by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). DC facilities that possess or use radioactive materials hold NRC licenses administered by NRC Region I. RSO qualifications and license conditions are set by NRC regulations (10 CFR Parts 20, 30, and 35), not by a state radiation control program.
X-ray-producing equipment (radiography, fluoroscopy, mammography, CT) is regulated by the DC Department of Health, Radiation Control and Medical Devices Division, which registers radiation-producing machines under DC Municipal Regulations Title 20 (Radiation Protection Standards, Chapters 20–22) and the DC Radiation Protection Act of 2024.
At the national level, mammography facilities must comply with FDA/MQSA requirements, and facilities seeking ACR, IAC, or Joint Commission accreditation must satisfy the physics testing and documentation standards those bodies require.
DRPS understands both the NRC regulatory framework applicable to DC radioactive materials users and the DC Department of Health requirements for registered X-ray equipment. This dual-framework expertise is essential for DC facilities operating both diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine or PET/CT programs.
Why DC Facilities Choose DRPS
Washington, DC presents a distinctive physics consulting environment. The District's non-Agreement-State status means that facilities with nuclear medicine or PET/CT programs must navigate NRC licensing directly — a more complex and demanding process than the state-delegated licensing that applies in Maryland and Virginia. At the same time, DC's density of federal healthcare facilities, academic medical centers, and specialty practices creates an imaging landscape with broad modality coverage and high accreditation expectations.
DRPS provides board-certified diagnostic medical physicists (DABR) with direct NRC regulatory experience. Our consultants understand the documentation requirements of NRC license applications and inspections, the DC Department of Health's equipment registration process, and the accreditation physics standards of ACR, IAC, and the Joint Commission. This combination allows DC facilities to work with a single physics consulting partner rather than juggling multiple specialists.
For DC facilities navigating new NRC license applications, annual NRC inspections, or the transition from one radioactive materials license scope to another, DRPS provides structured RSO support and regulatory correspondence assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Washington DC treated differently for radioactive materials regulation? DC is not an NRC Agreement State — it has not entered into an agreement with the NRC to regulate radioactive materials on the NRC's behalf. As a result, DC facilities that use radioactive materials (nuclear medicine, PET/CT) hold licenses issued directly by the US NRC, Region I. This contrasts with Maryland, Virginia, and Florida, where state agencies administer Agreement State programs under NRC oversight.
Who regulates X-ray equipment in DC? The DC Department of Health, Radiation Control and Medical Devices Division registers radiation-producing machines (X-ray, fluoroscopy, CT, mammography) under DC's Radiation Protection Standards and the Radiation Protection Act of 2024. DRPS EPE reports are structured to reflect the parameters DC DOH inspectors review.
Can DRPS serve as the named RSO for a DC nuclear medicine or PET/CT facility? Yes. DRPS provides named RSO services for facilities holding NRC radioactive materials licenses in DC, including nuclear medicine and PET/CT operations. Our RSO services include radiation safety program administration, NRC license management, personnel dosimetry oversight, and inspection preparation.
What accreditation physics support does DRPS provide for DC imaging centers? DRPS supports ACR accreditation (mammography, CT, nuclear medicine, PET, and other modalities), IAC accreditation, RadSite accreditation, and Joint Commission standards related to radiation safety and imaging physics for DC facilities.
Does DRPS support federal healthcare facilities in DC? DRPS can provide medical physics consulting services to federal healthcare facility administrators who contract independently for physics support. We do not have pre-existing government contracts for federal facilities, but we work with facility administrators directly. Contact DRPS to discuss your facility's specific regulatory framework and requirements.