(10/18/12) – The Radiology Department at McLeod Medical Center Dillon has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as the result of a recent survey by the American College of Radiology (ACR).

McLeod Medical Center Dillon has the General Electric (GE) Signa Ovation .35t Open Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an imaging technique used by physicians to visualize the internal structure and function of the body by using a powerful magnetic field to construct an image of the body. An MRI enables physicians to offer improved patient care through more accurate and efficient diagnoses. By enabling physicians at McLeod Medical Center Dillon to better view the internal structure of the body through high quality diagnostic imaging, superior patient treatment is available.

The GE Ovation system was chosen with patient comfort and quality of imaging in mind. It has four and a half feet of open patient space.

The openness of the unit greatly lowers patient anxiety, especially for those who are claustrophobic. Also, to make the MRI suite more patient-friendly and to further relieve patient nervousness, a large window with an outside view was included.

The Open MRI unit includes pulse sequences once only offered by higher-field, closed MRI systems. Pulse sequences reduce scan time, but increase diagnostic image quality. For patients with breathing problems or those with difficulty holding their breath, this shorter scan time is important for image quality.

The convenience for physicians in scheduling patients daily with an Open MRI in-house is one of the biggest advantages of the system. In addition, patients enjoy having a state-of-the-art Open MRI system locally and not having to travel out of the area for this service.

The full-time MRI technologist at McLeod Medical Center Dillon is Matt Matthews, R.T. R., M.R. He is a registered radiologic technologist in radiography and is certified in MRI. He completed extensive training at McLeod Regional Medical Center to earn certification in MRI.

About the American College of Radiology
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.