Blessing Health Hannibal breast biopsy technology earns national accreditation

Blessing Health Hannibal has been awarded a three-year term of

accreditation in stereotactic breast biopsy as the result of a recent

review by the American College of Radiology (ACR), earning the

organization's gold seal of accreditation.

A breast biopsy is performed to remove cells from an area in the breast

suspected to be cancerous. These cells are examined under a microscope

to determine a diagnosis. During a stereotactic breast biopsy, a special

mammography machine helps guide the radiologist's instruments to the

site of an abnormal growth. For women whose condition qualifies for

stereo tactic breast biopsy, it is less invasive than surgical biopsy

and leaves little to no scarring.

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 Parameters and Technical Standards as determined by

board-certified physicians and medical physicists after a peer-review

evaluation. During the peer-review, 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 that can be used for

continuous practice improvement.

The ACR is a professional medical society dedicated to serving patients

by empowering radiology professionals to advance the practice, science

and professions involved in radiological care

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