Continuing to provide the highest quality, safest treatment experience for women in need of cancer care, the Women’s Diagnostic Center of St. Catherine Hospital has been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. This distinction from the American College of Radiology (ACR) recognizes breast imaging centers that have earned accreditation in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, breast ultrasound and ultrasound-guided breast biopsy.
“Accreditation by the American College of Radiology serves as an acknowledgement that our care measures up to the nation’s top quality standards,” said Leo Correa, CEO of St. Catherine Hospital. “For our patients, it helps foster peace of mind and trust in their treatment.”
St. Catherine Hospital’s Women’s Diagnostic Center offers same-day results of high-quality screening and diagnostic services to help detect breast cancer at its earliest stages. Staff members include a team of highly trained, licensed technologists, certified breast health navigators and dedicated breast radiologists who perform the highest standards of diagnostic breast care and treatment.
“We care deeply about the patients who entrust themselves to us for care,” said Janushi Dalal, MD, fellowship-trained breast radiologist at Community Healthcare System. “We could not do that without the vision and drive to make this happen by every member of our team from St. Catherine Hospital’s physicians, nurses and technologists to all of those behind the scenes working to bring this program to the next level. I wanted to extend a special thank you to Tammy, Valerie, Donna and especially Lupe who did a great job.”
In order to earn accreditation, peer-review evaluations are conducted in each cancer care area by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Areas that the ACR takes into consideration for high practice standards include image quality, personnel qualifications, facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs.
“We are proud and excited to announce that St. Catherine Hospital has been granted the Breast Imaging Center of Excellence designation,” said Roberto Gonzalez, director of Imaging Services, St. Catherine Hospital. “This is a huge achievement for our hospital based program. It's been a challenge, but with our extraordinary people we got it accomplished. It was truly a team effort.”
The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 36,000 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 comprehensive healthcare services.
For more information about specialized women’s care and the programs and services offered by the hospitals of Community Healthcare System: St. Catherine Hospital, East Chicago, Community Hospital, Munster, St. Mary Medical Center, Hobart, and Community Stroke & Rehabilitation Center, Crown Point, visit our website at COMHS.org.