ACR Names First Two Centers of Excellence

Two hospitals in New Jersey and Maine have been recognized by the American College of Radiology for achieving excellence in multiple professional, technological and policy areas, the ACR announced.  

Hackensack University Medical Center in Bergen County, NJ, and Mount Desert Island Hospital in Bar Harbor, Maine, were honored as the first-ever Diagnostic Imaging Centers of Excellence.

“This is an achievement even beyond accreditation which, in itself, provides patients with high-quality diagnostic care,” said Debra Monticciolo, MD, chair of the ACR’s Quality and Safety Commission. “The DICOE recognition is synonymous with exceptional performance and a commitment to the most rigorous standards in all phases of the medical imaging enterprise.”

To receive this distinction, facilities must be accredited by the ACR in all modalities they provide and in which the ACR offers an accreditation program. Plus, an on-site team reviews all aspects of the facility’s operations, including personnel, equipment specifications, outcomes measurement and quality control systems, safety policies, utilization reviews, facility management and patient outcomes, according ot the ACR.

“This is a tremendous honor and one that ratifies our organization’s commitment to providing the highest level of diagnostic care,” Harry Agress Jr., MD, FACR, chairman emeritus of the Department of Radiology at Hackensack University Medical Center and an ACR fellow, said in a statement. “Every patient who enters our facility will receive care that reflects our investment in and dedication to exceptional medical imaging technology and care delivery.”