The Radiology Department at Austin Medical Center has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in MRI and nuclear medicine as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology.

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.

Dr. Joseph Accurso, board certified radiologist and AMC radiology medical director, said it’s a great achievement.

“The accreditation process is a huge undertaking by the radiology team here at Austin Medical Center and it validates our excellent radiology patient care experience,” Accurso said. “Patients and their providers can rest assured that our Radiology Department meets the highest standards for radiation safety and image quality. This accreditation is mandatory by 2012 in the CT, MRI and nuclear medicine areas of our practice, so we have successfully completed the initial process and are now in the continuous improvement phase.”