With five proton therapy centers operating in the U.S., an additional two centers slated for completion later this year, and the total number of existing centers expected to double in five years, the need for radiation therapists trained in proton therapy is sure to increase dramatically. But because training opportunities have been limited thus far, proton facilities have had little choice but to resort to on-the-job training.

To address this growing need, Ivy Tech Community College tapped the resources readily available in our town of Bloomington, Ind.--also home to the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute (MPRI) and ProCure Treatment Centers Inc.--to develop and implement a post-radiation therapy certification program in proton therapy. The program, which began earlier this month, will graduate students with competency in all aspects of proton therapy, ensuring that Indiana residents as well as citizens nationwide and patients in foreign countries receive optimal care and treatment.

The players

A state-of-the-art proton radiation therapy center, MPRI became the nation's third high-energy proton center and remains the only Midwestern facility of its kind. Programmatically incorporated into the Indiana University (IU) Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center and the IU School of Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology, both in Indianapolis, MPRI is also part of the comprehensive suite of cancer services offered to patients within the Clarian Health portfolio, which includes IU, Methodist and Riley hospitals in Indianapolis.

The ProCure Training and Development Center (TDC) is the first facility dedicated to proton therapy training, offering clinical, technical, interpersonal and administrative instruction that pertains to all aspects of proton therapy treatment. In addition to lecture rooms, the TDC has two fully functional treatment rooms, each with faux treatment machines and associated software systems to simulate the total work environment for patient treatment.

Indiana's largest public post-secondary institution and the state's engine of workforce development, Ivy Tech is in a unique position: All three facilities lie within a five-mile radius of each other. This collaboration between Ivy Tech, MPRI and ProCure will enable students to draw on state-of-the-art resources to complete their didactic coursework, lab practicum and clinical experience.

Program components

The Proton Therapy Specialist Certificate will be a 12-week hybrid program consisting of an initial four-week distance or online component followed by four weeks of integrated on-site lecture and lab practicum. The final four weeks will provide clinical experience; this component may be completed at one of the program's affiliated clinics or at another proton therapy center with proper permission and approval (i.e., from a current employer). Upon completion of the program, which will be offered several times each year, students will receive 16 college credits and a certificate. Students must complete all requirements to graduate.

To be eligible, applicants must be a graduate of an American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)-approved radiation therapy program or its international equivalent and submit proof of current certification. Applicants also must submit a completed Ivy Tech College application along with the Proton Therapy Program application.

Students must have a computer (preferably a notebook computer), printer and Internet access (we recommend high-speed access). Students will be responsible for the cost of the program as well as their transportation, room and board. Ivy Tech is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)-North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) and intends to seek specialized accreditation for the program if and when it's available.

Bloomington is the only city to have a training center dedicated to proton therapy and a fully functioning comprehensive proton radiation therapy center. The collaboration with these facilities will allow Ivy Tech Community College to develop and implement a quality education program to meet the growing demand for therapists specifically trained in proton therapy. After fielding questions about the program from across the nation and around the world, we're confident about the need for such a program, and we're optimistic about its success.

Larry G. Swafford, PhD, RT(R)(T), is program chair of radiation therapy at Ivy Tech Community College, Bloomington, Ind.