FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe M. Grillo Shawn Farley
Nicolazzo & Associates ACR
(617) 951-0000 (703) 648-8936
jgrillo@nicolazzo.com sfarley@acr.org
SAINTS MEDICAL CENTER RECEIVES
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGY
ACCREDITATION
LOWELL, Mass., Sept. 10, 2009 – Saints Medical Center announced today it has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology as the result of a recent survey by the American College of Radiology (ACR).
The ACR, headquartered in Reston, Virginia, awards accreditation to facilities for the achievement of high practice standards after a peer-review evaluation of the practice. The ACR is a national organization serving more than 32,000 members with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.
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. The surveyors report their findings to the ACR’s Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report.
Darcy Silva, manager of the radiation oncology department at Saints, said, “We are grateful for this strong endorsement of high quality care at Saints, which recognizes our commitment to provide specialized radiation oncology services in a compassionate setting that is close to home for patients in our region. The endorsement also underscores our cutting-edge radiation therapy technology and highly trained medical staff who deliver consistently excellent patient outcomes.”
Saints Medical Center’s Department of Radiation Oncology provides comprehensive radiation therapy services for cancer care and selected benign diseases. The clinical team of physicians, nurses, radiation therapists, medical dosimetry and physicists, all work as a multidisciplinary team to provide accurate and personalized treatment.
Services include 3D conformal radiation therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image fusion and image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). In addition to ACR accreditation, the department is part of the Cancer Center which has received accreditation from the American College of Surgeons.
About Saints Medical Center
Saints Medical Center is a nonprofit, full service, acute care community hospital serving Greater Lowell and the Merrimack Valley since 1839. A 163-bed licensed medical center, Saints provides advanced health services to 315,000 residents in 25 towns. With nearly 400 physicians and 1,400 employees, Saints Medical Center is well known for outstanding medical care and patient-centered facilities including its Centers of Excellence in Cancer Care, Orthopedics, Cardiovascular Services and Women’s Health. Saints also offers community-based care at several ambulatory sites and is dedicated to promoting health and wellness in the community. Saints has a clinical affiliation with the leading Boston academic medical centers and is proud to be one of the top-rated hospitals in Massachusetts according to The Joint Commission.
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