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Long Branch, NJ – Monmouth Medical Center, a Barnabas Health facility, recently received CT accreditation from the American College of Radiology (ACR) with zero deficiencies.
“The ACR added new stipulations in 2011 to lower radiation doses. Their goal in implementing these new standards is to award accreditation only to those facilities that can capture the best clinical images possible with the smallest radiation dose,” said Thomas Piccoli, DABR, chief imaging physicist/RSO, Monmouth Medical Center.
To apply for accreditation, Monmouth was required to submit clinical and physics images for five different procedures performed on each of the hospital’s three imaging machines: the 64-slice, 16-slice and 4-slice scanners. The images consisted of the adult head and abdomen, pediatric head and abdomen, and cardiac CTs, as well as physics tests that monitored radiation doses during those procedures.
The ACR designated two radiologists and two physicists to review each accreditation submission, who remain anonymous to eliminate any subjectivity. Based on the standards set by the ACR, the reviewers determine the number of deficiencies and either award or deny accreditation.
Before applying for accreditation, Piccoli, along with Wendy Okuniewski, RT(CT), lead CT technologist, and Richard B. Ruchman, M.D., chairman of radiology at Monmouth, reviewed all of the hospital’s imaging protocols, then amended each protocol to meet the ACR’s new accreditation standards.
“When the ACR tightened up the window, we needed to become more creative to capture quality images at low radiation doses,” said Piccoli, who oversaw Monmouth’s accreditation submission process. “It took a team effort to adapt to the new standards while still producing high quality images.”
Monmouth Medical Center will remain accredited for three years, pending the standard requirement of annual physics report submissions.
About Monmouth Medical Center
Located in Long Branch, N.J., Monmouth Medical Center, a Barnabas Health facility, along with the Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center, is one of New Jersey's largest academic medical centers and has been a teaching affiliate of Philadelphia’s Drexel University College of Medicine for more than 40 years. From its earliest days, Monmouth Medical Center has been a leader in surgical advancement and has introduced many technological firsts to the region, including robotic surgery and other minimally invasive techniques. The hospital is routinely recognized by HealthGrades, the nation’s largest premier independent health care quality company, for excellence in both emergency medicine and maternity care. U.S. News & World Report has recognized Monmouth as a regional leader in cancer, geriatrics, gynecology, neurology and neurosurgery. For more information on Monmouth Medical Center, visit www.barnabashealth.org.
February 21, 2012
CONTACT:
Elizabeth Brennan
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
(732) 923-5005
ebrennan@barnabashealth.org
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