CCMH re-accredited in mammography

Cedar County Memorial Hospital has recently received notice of being granted a three year                    Re-Accreditation in Mammography by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Criteria involved in the review includes aspects of Clinical Image Quality which involves eight image quality categories as well as Phantom Image Quality requiring oversight by two medical physicists. Safety is also of paramount concern by review standards.

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.

Mammograms aid in early detection and diagnosis of breast diseases in women, and according to statistics from the Susan G. Komen Foundation: Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women around the world, with an estimated 2 million new cases recorded in 2018.

Every 50 seconds somewhere in the world someone dies from Breast Cancer. That’s more than 17,000 women and men every day. In 2019, more than 42,000 women and men are expected to die from Breast Cancer.

But…

Improvements in early detection and treatment have led to a 40% decline in Breast Cancer deaths in the United States from 1989 – 2016.

So…It is important to have regular mammograms at an Accredited facility such as Cedar County Memorial Hospital. You can schedule an appointment by calling (417) 876-3542.

LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF TROUBLE – Cedar County Memorial Hospital Radiology Manager Melissa Baker (left) BSRT (R) (M)  and Debbie Culbertson RT (R) (M) are available to answer calls regarding any questions or concerns you may have about mammography and are the radiology professionals who actually operate the equipment that performs mammograms.