UCMC designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence

June 30, 2011

The University of Chicago Department of Radiology has been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR). The designation includes stereotactic breast biopsy, breast ultrasound, ultrasound-guided breast biopsy and mammography -- all of the College's voluntary, breast-imaging accreditation programs and modules.

Each modality was evaluated separately by board-certified physicians and medical physicists. They determined that the Medical Center has achieved "high practice standards" in image quality, personnel qualifications, equipment, quality-control procedures and quality-assurance programs.

The breast-imaging team at the Medical Center has "a long history of innovation and excellence," said Charlene Sennett, MD, assistant professor of radiology and interim section chief of mammography. The Medical Center's first mammography unit was installed in 1985 and it has been ACR-certified since the federal Mammography Quality Standards Act was passed in 1992.

In 1995, researchers at the Medical Center brought the first computer-assisted system to read mammograms into clinical use. They installed their first full-field digital mammogram unit in 2002.

The breast imaging center now provides digital mammography, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, breast interventional procedures and computer-aided diagnosis for mammography and MRI. The team performed 21,000 breast-imaging exams in 2010.

They offer same-day walk-in appointments for screening mammography. Hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:30 to 4 p.m. on Saturday. They also offer same-day walk-in appointments for screening mammography. To make an appointment, call (773) 795-9723.

Headquartered in Reston, Va., the American College of Radiology is a national organization serving more than 32,000 physicians. For more than 20 years it has been the most widely recognized medical-imaging accrediting body, setting the industry's standards for excellence. Its programs focus on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology, as well as the delivery of comprehensive health care services.