VGH Services
Imaging
To peer inside the human body without a scalpel was the stuff of science fiction just a few decades ago. Today, Imaging Services is critical for successful diagnosis and treatment.
Imaging Services at Virginia Gay completes 680 radiological examinations each month; more than 8,200 in a typical year. Most are completed the same day they are ordered by a physician; critical time is saved and the cost of travel is eliminated.
The expansion project provides faster, more private access to Imaging Services from the Emergency Room. Just a short distance from the clinic or the ER, the professionals in Imaging Services provide X-Ray, MRI Scan (2010), CT Scan, Bone Density analysis, Ultra Sound. Technicians also have the option of using the recently added C-Arm unit for specialized tests requiring greater flexibility and mobility of the imaging equipment.
Your images are uploaded to the Patient Archival Communication System, a network for rapid review by Radiology Consultants of Iowa, the same radiologists reviewing your images at the area's largest hospitals. The physical space for Imaging Services is nearly four times larger than it was before the project, with private waiting areas and room for the addition of new equipment to further improve diagnostic accuracy.
Virginia Gay Hospital has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). MRI is a noninvasive medical test that utilizes magnetic fields to produce anatomical images of internal body parts to help physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.
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 Guidelines and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. 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 they can use for continuous practice improvement.
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 health care services.
Accreditation Frequently Asked Questions
What should I know about radiation safety?
Before your imaging procedure be sure to ask your physician the following questions:
- Why is the test needed?
- How will having the test improve my care?
- Are there alternatives that do not use radiation and deliver similar results?
- Is the facility accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR)?
- Are pediatric and adult tests delivered using the appropriate radiation doses?
Why should I have my imaging exam done at an accredited facility?
When you see the gold seals of accreditation prominently displayed in our imaging facility, you can be sure that you are in a facility that meets standards for imaging quality and safety. Look for the ACR Gold Seals of Accreditation.
To achieve the ACR Gold Standard of Accreditation, our facility's personnel qualifications, equipment requirements, quality assurance, and quality control procedures have gone through a rigorous review process and have met specific qualifications. It's important for patients to know that every aspect of the ACR accreditation process is overseen by board-certified, expert radiologists and medical physicists in advanced diagnostic imaging.
What does ACR accreditation mean?
- Our facility has voluntarily gone through a vigorous review process to ensure that we meet nationally-accepted standards of care.
- Our personnel are well qualified, through education and certification, to perform mdical imaging, interpret your images, and administer your radiation therapy treatments.
- Our equipment is appropriate for the test or treatment you will receive, and our facility meets or exceeds quality assurance and safety guidelines.
What does the gold seal mean?
When you see the ACR gold seal, you can rest assured that your prescribed imaging test will be done at a facility that has met the highest level of imaging quality and radiation safety. The facility and its personnel have gone through a comprehensive review to earn accreditation status by the American College of Radiology (ACR), the largest and oldest imaging accrediting body in the U.S. and a professional organization of 34,000 physicians.
NOTICE TO PATIENTS:
You have the right to submit comments regarding this facility's radiology imaging and treatment services. Submit your comments in writing and send to the facility or to the following address:
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGY
Attn: Accreditation Program Patient Comments
1891 Preston White Dr.
Reston, VA 20191-4326
