CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System has been awarded another three-year term for re-accreditation in breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). MRI of the breast offers valuable information about many breast conditions that may not be obtained by other imaging modalities such as mammography or ultrasound.
“We are pleased to have earned accreditation again from the ACR, and it is a wonderful recognition of the passion, skill and dedication of every member of our team at CHRISTUS St. Michael,” said Lisa Patterson, BS, CNMT, RT(N), Director of Imaging Services for CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System. “While we are the only facility in this region to hold this accreditation along with our ACR Breast Imaging Center of Excellence Designation, what is most important is that CHRISTUS St. Michael is able to provide our patients with the confidence that they are receiving the highest levels of care in diagnosing and treating breast conditions.”
The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Parameters and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists, who are experts in the field. Image quality, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report that can be used for continuous practice improvement.
The ACR, founded in 1924, is a professional medical society dedicated to serving patients and society by empowering radiology professionals to advance the practice, science and professions of radiological care. The College serves more than 37,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.
