BRUNSWICK, Georgia: Dec. 22, 2008 – The nuclear medicine program
at the Southeast Georgia Health System Brunswick Campus has been awarded
a three-year term of accreditation as the result of a recent survey by
the American College of Radiology (ACR). Nuclear medicine is a specialized
area of radiology that uses very small amounts of radioactive substances
to examine organ function and structure.
“The ACR Accreditation is a rigorous review process and validates
that our facility meets nationally accepted standards of care,”
says interventional radiologist Terry Reynolds, MD, chief, Department
of Radiology for the Brunswick Campus. “Patients can rest assured
that they are getting the best care from a compassionate group of professionals
using the latest testing equipment and techniques.”
James Conlan, MD, a member of the Brunswick Campus medical staff, served
as the supervising radiologist for the accreditation process, says the
ACR has the most established and widely recognized accreditation program.
“ACR Accreditation is the gold standard for any nuclear medicine
program,” Conlan says. “Our participation provides a solid
foundation for our continuous commitment to improving outcomes and patient
safety.”
The ACR, headquartered in Reston, Va., 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 medical 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.
In addition to the ACR Accreditation, Karen Beaver, director of Imaging
Services at the Health System’s Brunswick Campus says the Nuclear
Medicine Department is licensed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Radioactive Materials Program. “We are licensed by the DNR and are
surveyed by them every two years to makes sure we are storing and handling
all of our radioactive materials properly,” Beaver says. “Having
this oversight, as well as having the ACR Accreditation, allows our patients
to feel confident that they are getting safe, effective care.”
For more information about the nuclear medicine program at Southeast Georgia
Health System, visit www.sghs.org. For more information about ACR, contact
Shawn Farley at 703-648-8936 or sfarley@acr.org.