St. Luke’s diagnostic imaging department receives six accreditations

Recently, St. Luke’s Diagnostic Imaging department received six accreditations from two different accrediting organizations.

Intersocietal Accreditation Commission accreditation includes a thorough review of a facility’s operational and technical components by a panel of experts. The commission grants accreditation only to those facilities found to be providing quality patient care in compliance with national standards through a comprehensive application process including detailed case study review. IAC accreditation is a “seal of approval” on which patients can rely.

• St. Luke’s Nuclear Cardiology was granted a three-year term of accreditation from IAC. Early detection of life-threatening heart disorders and other diseases is possible through the use of nuclear cardiology procedures. St. Luke’s is the first facility in the Duluth area to achieve accreditation in Nuclear Cardiology.

• St. Luke’s Vascular Ultrasound was granted a three-year term of accreditation in Vascular Testing in the areas of Extracranial Cerebrovascular Testing, Peripheral Arterial Testing and Peripheral Venous Testing by IAC. Early detection of life-threatening heart disorders, stroke and other diseases is possible through the use of Vascular Testing procedures.

American College of Radiology gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded to facilities meeting ACR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards, following 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.

St. Luke’s was awarded a three-year term of accreditation by the American College of Radiology in:

• Ultrasound imaging, also known as sonography, uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of internal body parts to help in the diagnosis of illness, injury or other medical problems.

• Positron Emission Tomography (PET), also called PET imaging or PET scan, is a type of nuclear medicine imaging. Nuclear medicine is a branch of medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material injected into the patient to diagnose or treat a variety of diseases, including many types of cancers, heart disease, and certain other abnormalities within the body.

• 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.

• CT imaging or CAT scan uses an x-ray imaging system to produce thin-slice x-ray pictures of the body area of interest. These images are then interpreted by a specially trained doctor–a Radiologist. This diagnostic test is helpful in diagnosing many different medical problems.

St. Luke’s CDI MRI imaging unit is also accredited through the ACR organization. MRI uses a magnetic imaging system to produce highly detailed images of the body area of interest.

St. Luke’s is dedicated to providing the most complete and accurate medical imaging with a commitment to technological innovation, compassionate patient care, and maintaining a professional and responsive relationship with the health care community. St. Luke’s Diagnostic Imaging offers a diverse range of services, demonstrating commitment to providing high quality exams from highly skilled radiologists and technologists.

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