Philip Manly founded Gamma Corporation in 1978 to provide health physics services to medical and industrial users in Hawaii. At the time of its incorporation, there were no CT machines, MRI machines, mammography machines, or ultrasound machines, only x-ray machines and fluoroscopy machines and nuclear medicine departments. The initial contracts signed by Gamma Corporation were to provide a Radiation Safety Officer for several hospitals in Honolulu, and to set up a new NRC byproduct materials license for Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association for their new facility in Aiea.
Increase In Scope of Medical Physics Work
By the early 1990's, CT, MRI, and ultrasound modalities were added to the imaging modalities available in hospitals and imaging centers. Mammography was approved for screening studies in 1994 with the passage of the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA). New Hawaii state regulations licensing medical physics services were added in 1999. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals added standards for annual testing of imaging equipment by a qualified medical physicist.
The new Hawaii state regulations for control of radioactive material and x-ray producing machines issued in 1999 included a requirement that medical physicists needed to be board certified to provide physics services in Hawaii. Mr. Manly, who already had certification from the American Board of Health Physics, obtained his certification from the American Board of Radiology in 1994. A second physicist was hired in 1993, who subsequently passed the examination for certification in health physics by the American Board of Health Physics and in diagnostic medical physics from the American Board of Radiology. A third physicist, with extensive experience in state regulation of radiation, was added in 2005. In April 2021, a fourth physicist, who will be eligible to take his boards in 2022, was added. Founder Philip Manly continued to provide mammography physics testing on a part-time basis.
Joining Apex Physics Partners
Shortly after hiring the fourth physicist, Gamma Corporation joined Apex Physics Partners, thereby assuring a continuation of quality medical physics services to Hawaii and the Western Pacific after the retirement of if its founder Mr. Manly. After joining Apex Physics Partners, the company continued under the name Gamma Medical Physics LLC with no changes in professional staff. Mr. Manly continues to provide mammography physics testing on a part time basis for Gamma Medical Physics LLC.
