The Radiology Department at Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) has received American College of Radiology (ACR) designation as a Lung Cancer Screening Center. The designation makes MAHHC Radiology notable “as a provider of safe, effective diagnostic care for those considered at high risk of lung cancer,” according to ACR. MAHHC is one of only three sites with this designation in a 25-mile radius, and one of nine within 50 miles.
MAHHC Radiology earned the designation by achieving ACR CT (Computed Tomography) Accreditation, and submitting clinical data including the department’s lung cancer screening protocol.
The designation represents the Hospital’s dedication to excellence in cancer care, says Dr. Joseph Perras, CEO and Chief Medical Officer at MAHHC. “We are proud to earn this distinction,” says Dr. Perras, “which signals to our community that Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center is recognized for our effectiveness in diagnosing lung cancer, a disease that affects more than 200,000 people a year in the United States. While lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women, making up nearly 25% of all cancer-related deaths, there is hope, especially with cancer detected at an early stage. That’s what we are here for.”
The American College of Radiology is a national organization founded in 1923 that represents nearly 40,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists in their mission to “serve patients and society by empowering members to advance the practice, science, and professions of radiological care.”
About Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center
Founded in 1933, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) is a not-for-profit community hospital network in Vermont, including the critical access-designated Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Historic Homes of Runnemede, a senior residential care campus, in Windsor, as well as the Ottauquechee Health Center in Woodstock. A member of the Dartmouth Health system, MAHHC provides primary care and a comprehensive suite of specialty services, along with 25 inpatient beds, a therapeutic pool and an acclaimed, fully modernized 10-bed Acute Rehabilitation Center. Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center is dedicated to improving the lives of those it serves and is at the hub of a wide network of community resources that have partnered to cover gaps in services and improve overall population health. One of the largest employers in the area, MAHHC acknowledges its employees as its greatest asset and has been recognized by the Governor's Office with an Excellence in Worksite Wellness award.
Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), is a recent recipient of Best Practice recognition by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) for health care quality, and is recognized by the American Hospital Association (AHA) as one of the "Most Wired" hospitals for integration of technology to boost clinical performance. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has awarded MAHHC with Level 3 status, the highest level of medical home designation.