Santa Cruz Medical Foundation Receives American College of Radiology Accreditation
December 19, 2007
SCMF only provider in Santa Cruz County to receive this distinction for multiple services
Santa Cruz, Calif. – The Santa Cruz Medical Foundation (SCMF), part of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to health care, research and education and a Sutter Health affiliate, has received a three-year accreditation from the American College of Radiology (ACR) for the following diagnostic imaging and radiology services at SCMF’s main office at 2025 Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz.
“We’re honored to be the only facility in Santa Cruz County to receive this distinction from the American College of Radiology for a range of diagnostic services,” said Peggy Hansen, M.D., medical director of Radiology at SCMF. “Our accreditation is a tribute to the hard work, skills and expertise of everyone who works in the Radiology Department.”
SCMF voluntarily went through ACR’s rigorous review process to be sure it meets nationally accepted standards. The ACR, headquartered in Reston, Virginia, awards accreditation to facilities for the achievement of high practice standards after a peer-review evaluation of its practice. Evaluations are conducted by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. They assess the qualifications of the personnel and the adequacy of facility equipment, then report their findings to the ACR’s Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the facility with a comprehensive report.
The full, three-year accreditation from ACR indicates that SCMF personnel are well qualified, through education and certification, to perform and interpret medical images. It also means that SCMF’s equipment is appropriate for the tests or treatments that patients receive, and the facility meets or exceeds quality assurance and safety guidelines.
“Every patient who receives radiology services from the Santa Cruz Medical Foundation is provided with excellent diagnostic care from highly trained experts using state-of-the-art equipment,” said Percy Williams, director of Radiology. “The ACR accreditation validates the quality of our work and our commitment to providing the highest quality of care to our patients.”