(1/12/12) – The Radiology Department at McLeod Medical Center Dillon has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in Mammography as the result of a recent survey by the American College of Radiology (ACR).

Mammography is one of the most important techniques that doctors use to detect breast cancer. A large benefit of a mammogram is its ability to detect problem areas even before they can be felt in a breast self-exam. Finding breast cancer earlier means much lower levels of lymph node involvement, and that more women being treated for cancer are eligible for breast conservation.

McLeod Medical Center Dillon has the latest in breast imaging technology with state-of-the-art digital mammography.

"Maintaining the highest standards of quality, Paula Andrews, RT (R) (M) and Tammy Kelly, RT (R) (M) (RDMS) are diligent in the quality of care they provide to our patients," commented Tim McKinley, Director of Radiology for McLeod Dillon.

Digital mammography holds many benefits. The images captured by a digital system are extremely clear and detailed with improved contrast. Digital mammography allows a physician to see a spot as small as a grain of sand. While standard film mammography creates an image directly on film, digital mammography takes an electronic image and stores it directly in a computer. Digital imaging also reduces patient waiting time and administers a lower radiation dose. In addition, Radiologists can use computer software to help interpret digital mammograms.

The ACR, headquartered in Reston, Virginia, awards accreditation to facilities for the achievement of high practice standards after a peer-review evaluation of the practice. Evaluations are conducted by board-certified physicians and medial physicists who are experts in the field. They assess the qualifications of the personnel and the adequacy of facility equipment. The surveyors report their findings to the ACR’s Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report.

The ACR is a national organization serving 34,000 diagnostic and interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, and nuclear medicine and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.