Lakeridge Health Radiation Therapist Achieves National Academic Honour

Radiation Therapist Carrie Lavergne has had an impressive career at Lakeridge Health. And now she has a national honour to add to her list of achievements.

Carrie recently completed the Advanced Practice Registered Technologist (Radiation Therapy) (APRT(T)) certification process. This is the highest academic honour the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists bestows within the Radiation Therapy discipline. APRT(T) certification provides a standardized means to recognize and certify radiation therapists working at an advanced level in Canada.

Dr. Peter Dixon, Medical Director of the Durham Regional Cancer Centre (DRCC), and Patti Marchand, Clinical Director of the DRCC, acknowledge how fortunate the program is for the expertise, commitment, and compassion Carrie brings to patient care and team collaboration in her role as Clinical Specialist, Radiation Therapy.

Carrie demonstrated these qualities throughout her APRT(T) certification – a process that requires years of additional education and experience to be eligible to apply. She began her career as a Radiation Therapist at the R.S. McLaughlin Durham Region Cancer Centre in 2007 and worked in many areas throughout the radiation oncology program during her first several years there. In 2015, she was accepted into the newly created Clinical Specialist Radiation Therapist (CSRT) role, specializing in palliative radiation oncology.

It was a full-circle moment for Carrie when selecting her APRT(T) specialization. Each APRT(T) specializes in a specific area, and Carrie chose palliative radiation therapy.

“When I was working on my portfolio to apply for the CSRT role, I went through my undergraduate papers and was reminded of a paper I had written in 2006 on my dreams of becoming a CSRT specializing in palliative care,” noted Carrie.

“I’ve always felt very passionate about the advantages of radiation therapy in symptom management for patients with incurable cancer. I’m excited to apply the increased knowledge and experience I’ve obtained through APRT(T) certification process to continue to provide the very best evidence-based care for patients requiring palliative radiation therapy.”