Our dedicated oncology team is made up of our Board-Certified Radiation Oncologists, Radiation Physicist, Radiation Therapists and Patient Care Coordinators.
Doctors
Albert C. Mak, M.D.
Medical Director
Growing up, Dr. Mak had his mind set on becoming an engineer. After earning his B.S. and M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from U.C. Berkeley in 1985, he realized that there was nothing more fulfilling and meaningful than making an impact in peoples’ lives. He then went on to the Chicago Medical School to pursue his goal of becoming a doctor. In 1989, he earned his medical degree. From 1990-1994, Dr. Mak completed his residency training at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center – a highly regarded hospital in the nation for cancer care. Dr. Mak is board-certified by the American Board of Radiology.
Fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin, Dr. Mak had served as the Medical Director for the Departments of Radiation Oncology at both Glendale Adventist Medical Center and White Memorial Medical Center for over 10 years. He has extensive experience in IMRT, stereotactic radiosurgery and brachytherapy, and is one of the few local physicians performing permanent seed implant for prostate cancer patients.
In the field of radiation oncology, advanced technologies can make all the difference in treating a cancer patient. Dr. Mak is committed to introducing the most cutting-edge technology to improve treatment outcomes and decrease side effects. Implementing new technology successfully in a radiation oncology clinic is no easy task; it requires strong leadership, commitment, strategic planning and experience. In January 2010, Dr. Mak opened the Pasadena CyberKnife Center, bringing the latest CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery G4 System to Los Angeles. By delivering high doses of potent radiation with sub-millimeter, pin-point accuracy, CyberKnife is the most advanced alternative to surgery for the treatment and removal of cancerous and non-cancerous tumors anywhere in the body. Currently serving as the Medical
Director of Radiation Oncology at the Pasadena CyberKnife Center, Dr. Mak is one of the few radiation oncologists in Los Angeles performing CyberKnife Radiosurgery. Prior to the opening of the Pasadena CyberKnife Center, Dr. Mak was one of the Co-Directors for the Stereotactic Radiosurgery at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, one of the very few radiosurgery programs in Los Angeles.
Dr. Mak has been recognized as a “Top Doctor” by the U.S. News and World Report and the Pasadena Magazine. He has also been named as “Best of Alhambra” in the physician category for his excellence in patient care. Dr. Mak is on staff at Garfield Medical Center, White Memorial Medical Center and Glendale Adventist Medical Center. When Dr. Mak is not treating patients, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his family and friends.
Janice Rha, M.D.
Radiation Oncologist
Dr. Janice Rha joined our team in December 2011. She earned her medical degree at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri and completed her internship training at the St. Louis University. She then completed her residency at the University of Southern California. Dr. Rha is board-certified by the American Board of Radiology.
Fluent in Korean, Dr. Rha is specialized in IMRT, LDR brachytherapy, HDR brachytherapy, 3D conformal radiotherapy, radionuclide therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery.
Dr. Rha is on staff at Garfield Medical Center, Beverly Medical Center, White Memorial Medical Center, Glendale Adventist Medical Center and Memorial Hospital of Gardena.
Dr. Rha is very passionate about serving the community. She and her family had participated in medical mission and volunteer trips oversea to help those in need. When she is not treating patients, Dr. Rha enjoys spending time with her family, working out in the gym and listening to classical music.
Ana M. Grace, M.D.
Radiation Oncologist
Dr. Ana M. Grace has been a staff physician at our clinic since 2005. A Board-Certified Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Grace earned her medical degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed her residency at the University of Southern California and the University of Arizona.
In addition to treating patients at our Alhambra clinic, Dr. Grace also performs CyberKnife Radiosurgery at our Pasadena CyberKnife Center. She is on staff at Huntington Medical Center, Beverly Medical Center, White Memorial Medical Center and Glendale Adventist Medical Center.
Dr. Grace is fluent in Spanish and is one of the few Hispanic women radiation oncologists in the area. She has dedicated much of her time in reaching out to senior citizens and the Spanish speaking population. Dr. Grace’s clinical interests include gynecologic malignancies and re-irradiation of previously treated sites of recurrence with stereotactic radiosurgery.
Her professionalism and service to our community have been recognized numerous times. In March 2011, Congressman Adam Schiff named Dr. Grace “Woman of the Year” for her commitment and dedicated service to our community. Then in June 2011, 2012 and again in 2013, Dr. Grace was named one of “Top Docs” by the Pasadena Magazine.
When she is not treating patients, Dr. Grace enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Physics Team
We work with a team of Medical Physicists and Medical Dosimetrists to ensure that the highest level of safety and quality care is maintained at our center.
A medical physicist is a highly-qualified physicist who works closely with the radiation oncologist in treatment planning and delivery. Medical physicists are involved in the quality control programs for equipment and procedures. They are responsible for maintaining and calibrating all equipment to make sure that the correct dose of radiation is delivered to the patient each time.
A medical dosimetrist is a specially educated and trained professional who works directly with the radiation oncologist to create a treatment plan. They use advanced computer program to calculate exactly where and how to deliver the prescribed radiation dose.
Staff
Frank – Medical Physicist
Frank joined our team in Fall 2005. He received his MS in Medical Radiation Physics from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science of North Chicago, IL., and his BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University of Evanston, IL.Carlos – Medical Dosimetrist
Carlos joined our team in Spring 2014. He is a board-certified medical dosimetrist and is specialized in planning breast and head & neck cases.Katherine – Medical Physicist
Katherine received her MS in Medical Physics from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Cincinnati, OH and her BS in Physics from the University of California San Diego in La Jolla, CA.Carol – Patient Care Coordinator
Carol joined our team in July 2006 and is one of our Patient Care Coordinators. Carol is responsible for scheduling patient appointments and surgery. She also works closely with insurance companies to obtain pre-authorizations for our patients. To keep our referring physicians informed, Carol has also taken up the responsibility of sending them patients’ progress updates and treatment reports on a regular basis. Carol is trilingual in English, Cantonese and Mandarin, and is conversational in Vietnamese. Her foreign language skills have been a great asset to our center.Elena – Patient Care Coordinator
Elena completed the Medical Assistant Program at the American Career College and joined our team in December 2008. Currently serving as one of our Patient Care Coordinators, Elena is responsible to assist both our front desk and our radiation therapists. With her skills, friendly personality and accommodating manner, Elena is always ready to assist our patients and plays a vital role in providing quality patient care. Elena is bilingual in English and Spanish.Esther – Administrative Assistant
Esther, a graduate of University of California Irvine with a BA in Psychology and Social Behavior, joined our team in January 2015 as our Administrative Assistant. In addition to providing administrative and office support for both Dr. Mak and our center, Esther is also responsible for scheduling appointments for patients and checking patients in and out. Esther is always ready to greet our patients with a smile and has received many compliments from our patients and their family members. In her free time, Esther enjoys working out in the gym and working with the children and youth at church. Esther is trilingual in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.Natalie – Executive Assistant
Natalie is Executive Assistant to Dr. Mak who handles a wide range of executive tasks for Dr. Mak and our center. Prior to joining our team in May 2009, Natalie has worked for Congresswoman Judy Chu in the California State Assembly and the California State Board of Equalization for seven years. A Management major cum laude graduate from California State University of Los Angeles, she brings a high level of professionalism and enthusiasm to the center. Currently, Natalie is also responsible for the center’s strategic marketing efforts, physician relations, event coordination and human resource management. Natalie is trilingual in English, Cantonese and Mandarin, and is eager to discuss with you what our center can do for you.Folake – Radiation Therapist
Folake, a graduate of Long Beach State University, School of Radiation Therapy, joined our team in March 2014. As one of our Certified Radiation Therapists, Folake assists our physicians with advanced radiation planning and administers the daily treatment plans. Folake is also responsible for performing and delivering IMRT/3D planned course of treatments, analyzing OBI, and performing Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) simulations.Erika – Radiation Therapist
Erika, a graduate of the Loma Linda University School of Radiation Therapy, joined our team in January 2007. As one of our Certified Radiation Therapists, Erika assists Dr. Mak and Dr. Grace with advanced radiation planning and administers the daily treatment plans. Erika is also responsible for performing and delivering IMRT/3D planned course of treatments, analyzing OBI, and performing Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) simulations. Erika is bilingual in English and Spanish.Paula – Director of Operations
Paula, our Director of Operations, was trained at the UCLA School of Radiation Therapy and joined our team in September 2005. Paula is responsible for the overall administration, planning, direction and evaluation of the Radiation Oncology Service. As a Certified Radiation Therapist, her duties also include assisting Dr. Mak and Dr. Grace with advanced radiation planning and administering the daily treatment plans. Her experience and knowledge is invaluable to us and we are very fortunate to have her on our team.