SVMC's Imaging Department Earns ACR Accreditation for PET-CT

BENNINGTON, VT—July 17, 2019—The Imaging Department at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET-CT) as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR).

PET-CT uses small amounts of radioactive materials called radiotracers, a special camera, and a computer to help evaluate organ and tissue functions. By identifying body changes at the cellular level, PET may detect the early onset of disease before it is evident on other imaging tests.

CT imaging uses special x-ray equipment, and in some cases a contrast material, to produce multiple images or pictures of the inside of the body. These images can then be interpreted by a radiologist on a computer monitor. CT imaging provides excellent anatomic information.

SVMC employs four PET-CT technologists. The department has state-of-the-art equipment and can accomplish fast scans. Five radiologists, who work at SVMC as part of Radiology Associates of Bennington, interpret the images and provide information necessary to make diagnosis and treatment decisions. 

In addition to PET-CT, SVMC conducts tests using the SVMC Imaging and Women’s Imaging Departments provide mammography, ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Nuclear Medicine, interventional radiology for pain control, and X-ray.

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 Parameters 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 that can be used for continuous practice improvement.

For more information about the Imaging Department at SVMC, visit svhealthcare.org/services/imaging or call (802) 447-5541, option 2.

About SVHC:
Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) is a comprehensive, preeminent, health care system providing exceptional, convenient, and affordable care to the communities of Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. SVHC includes Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation, and the SVHC Foundation. SVMC includes 25 primary and specialty care practices. For more information, visit svhealthcare.org.

Southwestern Vermont Health Care complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available at 1-800-367-9559.