ALMH Earns ACR Accreditation

[November 21, 2014]  LINCOLN - Abraham Lincoln Memorial 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). Mammography is a specific type of imaging test that uses a low-dose x-ray system to examine breasts. A mammography exam, called a mammogram, is used to aid in the early detection and diagnosis of breast diseases in women.

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 Guidelines 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. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report they can use for continuous practice improvement.

The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 36,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death and the second most common type of cancer among women in the United States. The American College of Radiology reports that mammography has helped reduce breast cancer mortality in the United States by one third since 1990. For every 1,000 women who have a screening mammogram: 100 are recalled to get more mammography or ultrasound images, 20 are recommended for a needle biopsy and 5 are diagnosed with breast cancer.

“At ALMH, we take pride in providing a great patient experience and fulfilling our mission to improve the health of the people and communities we serve. This accreditation is one more way we can show our patients that we strive for excellence,” said Kelly Bailey, radiology manager.

ALMH, a Memorial Health System affiliate, is a 25-bed critical access hospital located at 200 Stahlhut Drive in Lincoln. For more information, visit ALMH.org.

[Angela Stoltzenburg, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital]