Spencer Hospital Mammography Services Earn National Accreditation

posted on Thursday, May 9, 2019 in General

Spencer Hospital has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in mammography as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR), the only mammography center in the region to have achieved ACR accreditation.

The American College of Radiology reports that 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.

“It’s a vigorous review process and appreciate the effort our diagnostic imaging professionals put forth in achieving accreditation for mammography and the many other modalities offered through our imaging services,” commented Spencer Hospital president Bill Bumgarner. “Yet more valuable than the ACR gold seal is the knowledge that daily this team works hard to provide excellent customer service and exceptional images to aid in essential diagnostic services.”

Spencer Hospital’s diagnostic imaging services has obtained and maintained ACR accreditation in numerous modalities, including:

• Computerized Tomography – CT
• CT Lung screening
• Mammography/3D Mammography
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging – MRI
• Nuclear Medicine
• Positron Emission Tomography - PET CT
• Ultrasound

“I am so proud of the quality provided and the commitment of our mammography team,” expressed Mary Brosnahan, diagnostic imaging director. “All five mammographers are certified in their specialty and collectively, have 75 years of experience. The praise received from patients is truly heartwarming as many women are nervous when they arrive for a mammogram, yet typically express gratitude for the positive experience and kindness shown.” 

Spencer Hospital has utilized three-dimensional mammography since late 2016 to provide exceptional imaging which can help detect breast cancer. 3D mammography allows the radiologist to examine the breast tissue layer by layer. So, instead of viewing all of the complexities of breast tissue in a flat image, as with conventional 2D mammography, fine details are more visible and no longer hidden by the tissue above or below.

“In addition to 3D technology for mammography, Spencer Hospital also has stereotactic breast biopsy capabilities,” Brosnahan said. She explained that suspicious breast tissue is found during a mammogram, the radiologist may order a stereotactic biopsy which uses the same exceptional imaging technology of the three-dimensional mammo unit to guide the biopsy needle to the precise location to obtain a tissue sample. A stereotactic biopsy is less invasive than a surgical biopsy and can be performed in less than an hour.  

Breast health patients of Spencer Hospital also benefit from having certified Breast Health Navigators on the team. Navigators Mindy Sylvester, RN, BSN, and JaMae Dau, certified mammographer and navigator, are able to provide guidance to patients diagnosed with breast health issues through their treatment and recovery.

“We strive to provide complete quality – excellence in personal care, highly trained and skilled professionals, and proven technology – to best meet the needs of each patient,” Brosnahan said. “Our commitment to quality is for the benefit of the people we serve. Achieving and maintaining ACR accreditation is evidence of that commitment.”