Pridgeon's entry, "Radiation protection in the operating theater," shared her experience in ensuring radiation protection of the clinical staff at her facility, where she implemented reusable shields to absorb radiation backscatter from patients. As the winner, she will attend the ISRRT World Congress in June in Toronto.

Sandra Pridgeon won Radiographer of the Year.

Pridgeon is a diagnostic radiographer, working mainly in the operating theater. She has an independent practice in Welkom, South Africa, which offers x-ray services at various hospitals in Welkom. She also has an outpatient x-ray facility, offering services to the primary and occupational health sector.

"My passion is for radiation protection of clinical staff by limiting the backscatter from the patient during procedures involving increased patient-intensifier separation (e.g. dynamic manipulation of needles under fluoroscopic guidance for pulsed radiofrequency or rhizotomy procedures)," she said.

The DoseWise Radiographer of the Year Award was founded in 2010 by Philips Healthcare parent Royal Philips Electronics.

ISRRT to recognize dose reduction, August 25, 2011