Radiation Oncology Clinical Team 

If you choose to battle your cancer with the caring staff at Scottsdale Healthcare’s Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center, a team of highly trained medical professionals will be involved in your care during radiation therapy. 

Following are some of the titles and job descriptions of the professionals you will encounter: 

Radiation Oncologists 

Radiation oncologists are doctors who lead the radiation oncology team and oversee every aspect of your radiation therapy treatments. These physicians work with other team members to develop and prescribe your treatment plan and make sure that each treatment is given accurately. Your radiation oncologist also tracks your progress and adjusts the treatment, as necessary, to make sure you receive the best care. 

The following physicians are affiliated with Scottsdale Healthcare’s Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center:

Nicholas E. Flores, MD

Dr. Flores is currently the Medical Director of Scottsdale Radiation Oncology Center and Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center and Co-Director of the Novalis Shaped Beam Surgery Program within the Scottsdale Healthcare System. Dr. Flores completed his residency at the University of Rochester Cancer Center and is Board Certified in Radiation Oncology. He received specialized training in Novalis Shaped Beam Surgery (IMRT and Stereotactic), Sterotactic Radiosurgery, Sterotactic Brachytherapy (brain, Interstitial/Intracavitary Brachytherapy, Endobronchial Brachytherapy, High-Dose Rate Brachytherapy, total Hemi-body Irradiation and Hyperthermia.

Diane C. Recine, MD 

 Prior to coming to Phoenix, Dr. Recine practiced as a Radiation Oncologist at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago. Dr. Recine had previously taught Radiation Oncology at the University of Chicago and served as Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Rush Medical College, while practicing there in Radiation Oncology. She also held the position of Director of Residency Program, Department of Radiation Oncology, at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center. Dr. Recine earned her medical degree at University of Health Sciences, Chicago Medical School, and completed a residency in Radiation Oncology at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center. Dr. Recine's areas of clinical interest and specialization include the treatment of breast cancer, lymphomas, soft tissue sarcomas, gastrointestinal cancer, and head and neck cancer. She has specific interest and expertise in the use of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), stereotactic radiotherapy, and image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) using the Novalis system. She is Board Certified in Radiation Oncology by the American Board of Radiology.

 Irene K. Taw, MD 

Dr. Taw, the newest member of the radiation oncology team at the Scottsdale Radiation Oncology Center located at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center, has been practicing radiation oncology in the Phoenix area for over thirteen years. For ten years before joining Scottsdale Healthcare, Dr. Taw was a Radiation Oncologist at Banner Desert Medical Center, where she also served as Chairman for Biomedical Ethics. Additionally, she was the Radiation Oncology Principle Investigator for the Children Oncology Group (COG) at Banner Cardon Children’s Medical Center. After receiving her medical degree from Finch University of Health Science/Chicago Medical School, Dr. Taw completed both a medical/surgical internship and her residency in radiation oncology at Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago. Dr. Taw’s areas of clinical interests include breast, head and neck, lung, gynecological, thyroid, and pediatric. She specializes in using three dimensional (3D) conformal radiation therapy, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) using cone beam CT, Stereotactic radiosurgery, Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT), and High-Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy for lung, gynecologic, and breast cancers. Dr. Taw was named “Best Doctor” by Best Doctor, Inc. from 2005-2010 and “Top Doctor” by Phoenix Magazine in 2009. She is board-certified in Radiation Oncology by the American Board of Radiology.

Radiation Oncology Nurse Practitioners

Our NP is board certified as an Adult Nurse Practitioner. The NP role is to complement the role of the radiation oncologists by providing patient assessments, consultation, follow-up and clinical care management throughout the patient's course of treatment.

Lisa Bautista, ANP 

Lisa Bautista graduated from Arizona State University with Bachelors of Science in Nursing in 1998. Her lifelong commitment to continuing education motivated her to enroll in graduate school. During her degree program, she completed a majority of clinical hours at Scottsdale Healthcare Radiation Oncology. She completed her Master of Science degree at Arizona State University in 2005 and is board certified as an Adult Nurse Practitioner. Her professional goals include: deploying her education, bilingual skills and nursing experience as an adult nurse practitioner to provide the high quality healthcare that the Scottsdale community has come to expect. The nurse practitioner role in radiation oncology complements the role of the radiation oncologist by providing clinical care management throughout your cancer care experience. Her expertise is in patient education, symptom management for patients undergoing radiation treatment and as a facilitator in survivorship care.

 Radiation Therapists

Radiation therapists work under the direction and supervision of radiation oncologists to give daily radiation treatments. They maintain daily records and regularly check treatment machines to make sure they are working properly. 

Radiation Oncology Nurses

Radiation oncology nurses work with every member of the treatment team to care for you and your family before, during and after treatment. They explain any possible side effects you may experience and describe how you can manage them. They assess how you are doing throughout treatment, and help you cope with the changes you are experiencing. 

Medical Physicists

Medical physicists work directly with the radiation oncologist during treatment planning and delivery. They oversee the work of the dosimetrist and help ensure that complex treatments are properly tailored for each patient. 

Dosimetrists

Dosimetrists work with radiation oncologists and medical physicists to carefully calculate radiation dosages to make sure tumors get the prescribed amount of radiation. Using computers, dosimetrists develop an optimized treatment plan that can best destroy the tumor while sparing healthy tissue. 

Other Team Members

Other members of the team may include social workers, nutritionists, cancer care coordinators, radiation engineers, physical therapists, radiation data managers, dentists and clerical staff. 

To learn more about radiation oncology services at Scottsdale Healthcare, please contact our Cancer Care Coordinator. Or, if you would like to meet with a radiation oncologist to discuss treatment options in a comfortable, non-hurried atmosphere, please call Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center at 480-323-1234 (toll-free: 1-877-273-3639) or Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center at 480-882-6234 (toll-free: 1-877-273-3639).