U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing staffing shortages for medical physicists at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Physicist Pay Cap Relief Act would remove a salary cap on Therapeutic Medical Physicists and Diagnostic Medical Physicists employed by the VA. These specialists work alongside radiation oncologists to deliver cancer care and treatment to veterans.
According to the senators, VA medical physicists currently earn approximately $40,000 less than their private sector counterparts. The pay disparity has contributed to staffing shortages that can delay cancer treatments for veterans.
“Ensuring those who have served can access the high-quality, timely care they need is only possible if the Department of Veterans Affairs is empowered to recruit and retain the best healthcare providers,” Boozman said. “That includes the personnel helping deliver radiation and imaging care.”
Kaine emphasized the impact on patient care, stating, “Arbitrary caps on the pay therapeutic medical physicists and diagnostic medical physicists receive contribute to clinical staffing shortages at VA clinics—delaying patients’ access to crucial cancer treatment.”
Over the past two decades, salaries for medical physicists have increased nationwide as radiation therapy has become more sophisticated and common. The legislation would allow the VA to offer competitive salaries to address persistent staffing shortages.
Robin Miller, president of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, praised the effort, noting that medical physicists are “essential members of the clinical care team, helping ensure that imaging and radiation treatments are accurate and safe—especially for patients with cancer.”
The full text of the legislation is available on Boozman’s Senate website.
