-Senior Breast Imaging Officer for R01-MURIKA Project

Job Title:

Senior Breast Imaging Officer

Departments:

Clinical and Research

Grade:

4B

Location:

Butaro, with frequent travels to other selected intervention sites

Duration of Contract:

September 2026 – April 2030 renewable upon availability of funds

Reports to:

-Director of Research and Training

Organization Profile

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In 2005, PIH and its Rwandan sister organization, Inshuti Mu Buzima (IMB), began working in partnership with the government of Rwanda to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic afflicting the population and to comprehensively strengthen the public health system in rural, underserved districts in Rwanda. Today, PIH/IMB supports delivery of comprehensive integrated non-communicable disease (NCD) services in three rural districts of Rwanda, including cancer care. Cancer care is predominantly based at the flagship Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence (BCCOE), which was inaugurated in June 2012 and has since provided care to over 9,000 patients, with services ranging from cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

As breast cancer incidence rises in Rwanda, innovative and sustainable strategies to facilitate timely, accurate diagnoses are urgently needed to eliminate these preventable deaths. High-quality breast imaging is essential for the evaluation of potential cancer. Specifically, diagnostic breast ultrasound is the global standard of care in evaluating breast masses and more accurate than physical exam alone in identifying benign versus malignant disease. By triaging lesions requiring biopsy, ultrasound may also reduce unnecessary referrals and allocate resources to those most likely to have cancer. However, radiologists are still scarce and breast ultrasound is typically offered only at urban referral hospitals. Decentralizing breast ultrasound to district hospitals would expand access to this critical evidence-based intervention, particularly for low-income rural patients facing heightened barriers to referral hospital care.

It is with this regards that Rwandan policymakers have called for breast ultrasound decentralization at all district hospitals. Based on this, PIH/IMB in collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital(BWH) are implementing a project entitled “MURIKA (Mobilizing Ultrasound for Breast Imaging and Care)” aiming to use a fully powered hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial design, to examine whether real-time virtual supervision using teleultrasound technology is more effective than asynchronous virtual feedback in facilitating breast ultrasound provision and maintaining clinicians’ skills at 16 Rwandan selected district hospitals. During the tele-ultrasound supervision, the trained clinicians/medical imaging technologists will receive real time supervision and feedback from the incumbent Senior Breast Imaging Officer on a video call using REACTS (a radiology software). For asynchronous virtual supervision, the clinicians-trainees will save the ultrasound images and will be shared with the incumbent who will provide them feedback within 24 hours. The project will focus on comparing the effectiveness of these two strategies in terms of building the trainees’ skills and supporting the incorporation of the breast ultrasound provision into clinical care at the 16 district hospitals.

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Overall Responsibilities:

Under the guidance of PIH/IMB Research and Training and Oncology Programs Leadership, as well as BWH partners, the Senior Breast Imaging Officer will be mainly responsible for leading clinical interventions, trainings, mentorship and supervision in diagnostic breast ultrasound within the 16 selected intervention hospitals and PIH/IMB supported sites, following the established radiology requirements and regulations to ensure patient care, safety and clinicians’ skills enhancement. The position will also be involved in different related research activities, expert meetings, workshops, and curriculum reviews.

Specific Responsibilities and Duties:

• Developing diagnostic breast ultrasound training curricula;
• Leading breast ultrasound trainings, combining in-person and web-based didactic lectures and supervision;
• Supporting the assessments of the effectiveness of the training and supervision strategies;
• Serving as a virtual mentor-supervisor for the selected study or intervention sites/hospitals (via tele-ultrasound for some hospitals and asynchronous supervision for other sites);
• Participating in regular (weekly, monthly, quarterly) meetings and workshops with different stakeholders;
• Supporting study results interpretation, dissemination and translation of findings into policy and practice;
• Providing clinical expertise on diagnostic breast ultrasound while supporting other breast medical imaging project-related activities as needed and requested by the PIH/IMB supervisors.

Ideal Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in Medical Imaging Services; a Master’s degree being an added advantage;
• Having worked in cancer control or breast cancer early detection national programs;
• Working specialization in medical breast imaging techniques and equipment, especially in diagnostic breast ultrasound;
• 3-5 years’ experience in imaging services from a reputable health/ radiology institution/center
• Some experience with a CT Scan, MRI and mammography machines is also an added advantage;
• Flexibility and willingness to work across several locations, in resource limited settings, including rural areas and diverse team ;
• Strong management, communication, mentoring, teaching and leadership skills;
• Highly organized and able to manage a heavy patient load;
• Have compassion for vulnerable population, advocacy for their well-being and medical needs;
• Persuaded and practicing the principles of equity;
• Showing expert skills, knowledge, experience and passion for medical imaging techniques especially in diagnostic breast ultrasound;
• Ability to live PIH/IMB values:Ubumuntu-Compassion,Ubupfura-Integrity,Ubunyangamugayo-Honesty,Ubwubahane-Mutual respect,Ubufatanye-Solidarity,Agaciro-Dignity,Kugiraishyaka-Determination.
• At Partners In Health, we are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work- including our patients, families and community members – as well as our staff are treated with dignity and respect and protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment. By signing this Job Description, the employee confirms their understanding of this commitment, their readiness to follow it, and adhere to it.

Supervisor’s Names, Date & Signature:

Staff’s Names, Date & Signature: