Radiation safety compliance issues at affiliated institutions.

"Affiliation" may be defined as a collaborative interaction between two (or more) organizations in a spirit of mutual benefit through an equitable contribution of resources. Across the United States, hundreds of medical schools and healthcare organizations affiliate with one another for the enhancement of patient care, education, and research. Oftentimes, both parties in the affiliation have active clinical and research programs that involve the use of radioactive material (RAM). The combination of this close affiliation and use of radioactive material presents a number of challenging radiation safety compliance issues. It is important for radiation safety professionals (RSPs) employed by each affiliate to work together to ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.