Fairfax, Va., November 19, 2015 – The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) strengthened its commitment to improving clinical quality in radiation therapy with two recent promotions in its clinical affairs decision. Angela Kennedy has been named director of quality improvement, and Samantha Dawes has been promoted to assistant director of quality improvement.

As the association's quality improvement director, Kennedy will spearhead multiple efforts focused on patient safety and clinical quality and provide strategic leadership for initiating, developing, managing and evaluating the organization's quality improvement programs and initiatives. She will oversee various programs under the umbrella of ASTRO's Target Safely initiative, including the recently-launched APEx®, the Accreditation Program for Excellence, and RO-ILS®, the Radiation Oncology Incident Learning System, as well as developing clinical quality measures for radiation oncology. Kennedy joined ASTRO in July 2013 as senior manager of coverage and practice management, became a senior manager of practice accreditation in 2014, and was then promoted to assistant director of quality improvement.

Prior to joining ASTRO, Kennedy managed health information and policy projects for multiple federal programs within the Department of Health and Human Services for Booz Allen Hamilton, developed and managed courses for the American College of Radiology Education Center, and led creation of the 3D medical imaging division at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Kennedy earned her master's degree in business administration with a concentration in operations management from Loyola University, a bachelor of science in biological sciences degree with a concentration in genetics from the University California, Irvine, and a doctor of chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic West.
Dawes, in her role as assistant director of quality improvement for ASTRO, will continue her work with APEx® and take on the management of clinical guidelines, which help radiation oncology teams stay current on the most effective avenues to treat different types of cancer. Before joining ASTRO as its practice accreditation manager in July, Dawes gained experience as a clinician in four different continents, including nearly 10 years as a medical dosimetrist in the U.S. and U.K. and 15 years as a radiation therapist in the U.K., Saudi Arabia and Australia. Dawes previously worked for a number of hospitals and health centers, including Inova Alexandria Hospital, The London Clinic, Perth Radiation Oncology Centre in Australia, and King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Dawes has earned a degree in applied science with an emphasis in therapeutic radiography from the University of Sydney, certification from the Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board, and accreditation from the Australian Institute of Radiography.

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