Mountain View, CA - July 29, 2011 - El Camino Hospital has been accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR) as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence following an extensive review of quality performance and achieving accreditations for mammography, breast ultrasound, breast ultrasound core biopsy and stereotactic breast biopsy. The three-year accreditation is given to facilities that represent the highest level of image quality and patient safety, and is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards.
The accreditations result from peer-review evaluations by board-certified physicians and medical physicists, and assess a facility's image quality, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures, quality assurance programs and needle placement when performing biopsies.
"These ACR accreditations demonstrate our commitment to excellence in all of the related specialty areas," said Dr. Jessie Jacob, Director of Breast Imaging and Intervention at El Camino Hospital. . "Proper diagnosis and effective treatment of a breast abnormality begins with accurate imaging. This is recognition that both our technology and personnel for each mode of detection – mammography, ultrasound and biopsy – meet the highest standards of excellence. It's assurance that our patients and physicians can be confident we are delivering safe, accurate and effective care."
El Camino Hospital's Breast Health Center, one of the largest breast screening centers in Northern California, offers a complete range of breast screening services. An FDA Certified Mammography Facility, it performs more than 12,000 studies a year, using state-of- the-art diagnostic equipment. The Center's digital mammography provides a detailed electronic picture of the breast that can detect early and highly curable cancers too small to be felt. It also uses computer-aided detection (CAD) that works like a second pair of eyes, reviewing a patient's image after the radiologist has already made an initial interpretation. If a mammogram shows an abnormal area or other changes in the breast, the Center offers a range of diagnostic tests including diagnostic mammograms, ultrasound, needle core biopsies, and wire localization for surgical intervention.
For women who are at high risk of breast cancer and have dense breasts, El Camino Hospital offers 3TMRI, a powerful tool that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to generate an exceptionally clear image, detecting significantly more lesions than are found via mammography and sonography.
"We recognize the importance of not only providing the best tools, but also insuring that our staff is exceptionally qualified and well-trained," said Dr. Imtiaz Qureshi, medical director and chief of radiology at El Camino Hospital. "The ACR accreditation process insures that we receive constructive feedback and provides an independent, objective source confirming that we are delivering the highest quality care for patients."
The ACR is a national organization serving more than 34,000 diagnostic and interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine and medical physicists. Its programs focus on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.
