Fitzgibbon Hospital Earns ACR Accreditation Renewal

October 14, 2022

Women who receive 3D mammography services at Fitzgibbon Hospital can be confident they are receiving the highest level of image quality and safety in their examinations, as the hospital’s accreditation was renewed for an additional three years by the American College of Radiology. The notification is particularly “timely,” with October’s national focus on early detection of breast cancer.

Fitzgibbon Hospital has maintained its accreditation from ACR for well over 20 years.

Mammography is a specific type of imaging test that uses a low-dose X-ray system to examine breast tissue. A mammography exam, called a mammogram, is used to aid in the early detection and diagnosis of breast diseases, including breast cancer, in women and some men. Fitzgibbon has offered state-of-the-art mammograms via 3D technology since 2015.

The American College of Radiology recommends all women receive a yearly mammogram beginning at age 40.

“These types of accreditations are very important to our hospital, and it’s important that women in our community know about them. They can be confident that their annual mammogram is being delivered in the highest-quality setting by a state-of-the-art machine. There is absolutely no reason to seek care from anywhere else,” said Angy Littrell, president and CEO of Fitzgibbon Hospital.

The ACR accreditation is considered the “gold standard” in accreditation. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Parameters and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Image quality, qualifications of the facility staff, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs are all assessed as part of the accreditation process.

The findings are then reported to the ACR Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice or facility with a comprehensive report that can be used for continuous practice improvement.

The ACR, founded in 1924, is a professional medical society dedicated to serving patients and society by empowering radiology professionals to advance the practice, science and professions of radiological care. The ACR serves more than 37,000 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 quality, comprehensive healthcare services.

To schedule your 3D mammogram, call 660-831-3208. If your physician has already written an order, please bring it with you to your appointment. Otherwise, Fitzgibbon Hospital scheduling staff will contact your physician on your behalf.