For the 10th consecutive year, the Texas County Memorial Hospital mammography department has received a “zero deficiency” rating from the Mammogram Quality Standard Act for mammography done by the department.
The state and federal survey is conducted annually in the hospital radiology department. Ann Hamilton, radiology department director at TCMH, noted that it is “virtually unheard of” for a mammography department to receive zero deficiencies for 10 consecutive years.
Over half the survey time is spent inspecting paperwork collected in the mammography department. Terri Bailey, technologist in the mammography department, is responsible for compiling paperwork.
“Terri’s precise recordkeeping is one of the main reasons we continue to receive excellent ratings,” Hamilton said.
The mammography technologists, interpreting radiologist and physicist are required to have mammography specific continuing education annually. Quality assurance testing is performed on the equipment daily, weekly and monthly, and the medical physicist performs an annual review of the mammography unit.
The TCMH radiology department offers the complete range of radiologic services – CT, mammography, MRI, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, bone density scan and X-ray. TCMH has made significant investments in keeping the radiology department equipment up to date – purchasing new CT, MRI, mammography, ultrasound, bone density and X-ray equipment in the past few years.
Many services in the radiology department at TCMH are available 24-hours a day. In July 2009, a radiologist will be available most mornings at the hospital, adding additional radiologic services as well as enhanced patient care in the department.