Ministry Good Samaritan Health Center’s mammography program recently received reaccreditation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during its annual Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) inspection.
Accreditation means that Ministry Good Samaritan’s mammography facility has met the MQSA requirements for providing quality mammography.
MQSA inspections assure those radiologists, technologists and those who test the equipment are all in compliance with their qualifications, continuing education and experience. It also ensures that proper policies and procedures are in place and that all machines are operational and in compliance with standards. The objective of the MQSA is to support continuous improvement in mammography services.
“This is an important process that Ministry Good Samaritan has been in compliance with since MQSA was launched in 1992,” said Mary Witte, director of imaging services at Ministry Good Samaritan Health Center. “We take great pride in our dedicated staff that provides quality mammography services to the Merrill community.”
Ministry Good Samaritan Health Center utilizes a permanent full field digital Mammography unit which allows for:
•Better visibility of the breast, particularly near the skin line, the chest wall and in women with dense breast tissue.
•Faster exams.
•Fewer call backs for patients. The flexibility to magnify and manipulate digital images can provide more clinically relevant information and therefore can eliminate some callbacks that are necessary with traditional film-based mammography systems.
•The advancement of telemedicine, allowing breast images to be sent electronically or on a CD to be reviewed on a computer.
•Lower radiation dose in those with dense breast tissue.
Witte encourages women over 40 years of age or those with a family history of breast cancer to schedule a regular mammogram. Mammography can often detect breast cancer before it can be felt or before it produces symptoms. When detected early, breast cancer can be treated successfully.
Mammography is also used to follow up on findings from previous screenings or to evaluate a woman who may have other symptoms.
Ministry Good Samaritan Health Center’s Diagnostic Imaging Department offers Mammography appointments from 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays.
For more information or to schedule a digital mammography appointment at Ministry Good Samaritan Health Center in Merrill, please call 715-539-2124.