The BRMC Mammography program has received an outstanding rating from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), following an inspection on September 26, 2001. The program received the highest of four levels of findings, "all items in compliance." The program was reaccredited for a three-year period earlier this year, and is inspected by the FDA periodically during the period of accreditation. This was the second consecutive year that the program has received the highest rating.

The inspection covered six major areas: Equipment, performance, technologist Quality Control, medical physicist survey, personnel qualifications, medical reports and outcome audits, and compared those areas to required standards of the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA).

Kay Cooper, Director of Radiology, said, "It is a very strenuous program that examines the six areas in minute detail. There are Quality Control issues that must be monitored daily." BRMCıs staff of three radiology technicians and 11 radiologists are all involved in the on-going effort to maintain a high quality program.

The FDA report said that "Your facility has received an 'All items in compliance' rating, and we congratulate you on this outstanding accomplishment. We commend you for the effort and attention you and your staff has put into developing exceptional operating systems."

"Patients should have the highest confidence in our program, knowing that we exceed the standards, and that we provide a high quality of care," Cooper said.