Department Of Veterans Affairs
VA Handbook 7610 (277)
Washington, DC 20420
June, 2006
Square Feet (DGSF). The NTDG factor adopted for Radiation Therapy Service is
1.60.
G. Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS): The digital capture, transfer
and storage of diagnostic images. A PACS system consists of workstations for
interpretation, image/data producing modalities, a web server for distribution, printers
for file records, image servers for information transfer and holding, and an archive of
off-line information. A computer network is needed to support each of these devices.
H. Procedure / Suite Stop: A procedure / suite stop is one encounter of a patient with a
healthcare provider. Per these criteria, the procedure / suite stop is the workload unit
of measure for space planning. One individual patient can have multiple procedure /
suite stops in a single visit or in one day.
I.
Program for Design (PFD): A space program based on criteria set forth in this
document and specific information about Concept of Operations, Workload
projections and Staffing levels authorized.
J. Radiation Therapy: The use of high-energy X-Ray beams to produce ionizing
radiation that may be used to treat cancer and some benign diseases. The modern
linear accelerator provides both photon (X-Ray) and particle (electron) beams.
Typically, the photons are available in two intensities that can be chosen as a function
of the thickness of the body part to be treated. Radiation Therapy is also referred to
as Radiotherapy or Radiation Oncology.
K. Room Efficiency Factor: A factor that provides flexibility in the utilization of a room to
account for patient delays, scheduling conflicts, and equipment maintenance.
Common factors are in the 80 to 85% range. A room with 80% room efficiency
provides a buffer to assume that this room would be available 20% of the time
beyond the planned operational practices of the room. This factor may be adjusted
based on the actual and/or anticipated operations and processes of the
room/department.
L. SEPS (VA-SEPS): Acronym for Space and Equipment Planning System, a digital tool
developed by the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans
Affairs to generate a Program for Design (PFD) and an Equipment List for a VA
healthcare project based on specific information entered in response to Input Data
Statements. VA-SEPS incorporates the criteria set forth in this chapter as well as all
chapters in VA's Handbook 7610. VA-SEPS has been designed to aid healthcare
planners in creating a space plan based on a standardized set of criteria parameters.
M. Simulator Unit: The simulator unit allows the radiation therapy to examine under
fluoroscopic means the possible treatment field size and determine treatment
volumes and daily setup parameters.
N. Tomotherapy: A form of cancer radiation therapy that combines the precision of a CT
scan with the potency of radiation treatment to selectively destroy cancerous tumors
while avoiding surrounding tissue. Tomotherapy rotates the beam source around the
patient, thus allowing the beam to enter the patient from many different angles in
succession. Thus, the tumor is more precisely targeted and the healthy tissue
surrounding the tumor is subjected to much lower doses of radiation.
Radiation Therapy Service (Chapter 277): Page 3 of 17
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