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Progressive Radiology at Bel Air Recognized by Imaging Technology Magazine as a Top Women’s Center for 2011

Progressive Radiology featured as a Top Women’s Center for 2011 in the March edition of Imaging Technology Magazine.  You can read the entire article at their website http://www.itnonline.net/node/39069

Top Women’s Centers in 2011

By: Helen Kuhl

Centers focused on women’s health are an important part of the imaging landscape and continue to undergo refinement, striving to meet their patients’ needs. To do so, their dedicated staffs have to keep many balls in the air at once – staying up-to-date with the latest technology, maintaining an efficient workflow and being profitable – all while providing a high quality of care to as many women as possible.

To recognize the enormity of this juggling act and the women’s centers that meet the challenge with excellence, each year Imaging Technology News features “Top Women’s Centers to Watch.” These facilities manage to keep up in all areas, setting a high bar in the areas of innovation, operational efficiency, patient service and teamwork.

This year, we honor four centers – Columbia Regional Breast Center, Progressive Radiology, Stamford Hospital Women’s Breast Center and Jefferson Radiology – that are making a difference in women’s lives. The next few pages are filled with details about their efforts, and ITN congratulates them for their achievements.

Progressive Radiology, Washington, D.C.; Md.

INNOVATION: Progressive Radiology continues to build on its reputation and commitment to excellence in healthcare through innovation, using the most advanced technologies in patient care. The women’s imaging center employs high-resolution digital mammography, PACS and a custom RIS application. Every exam is performed with high-quality, safe diagnostic examination tools to provide accurate, expedient results to assist medical providers.

Progressive Radiology uses several types of imaging modalities and IT technology to screen, diagnose and recommend follow-up, including screening and diagnostic mammography, breast and pelvic ultrasound, CT, MRI and bone densitometry.

The fully digital mammography site was installed in January 2010, with a 5-megapixel radiologist reading station and an upgraded PACS. The PACS and mammo modules are from Intelerad. Fujifilm computed radiography (CR), Drypix 5000 and Clearview 4 port reader are the hardware for the mammo.

Dr. Wilkens

The PACS allows referring physicians to easily and securely access images, view reports and review all current and past exams from a local workstation. Both the radiologist and clinician can reference a patient’s records quickly and efficiently while adhering to patient privacy regulations.

Progressive Radiology has 10 facilities located in the Maryland and Washington, D.C., area. The centers also provide MRI, open MRI, CT, ultrasound and X-ray exams. All its radiologists are board-certified and subspecialty-trained.

In 2010, Progressive Radiology redesigned its website, www.progressiveradiology.com. This allows patients to utilize a single online source to obtain all the information they need for their diagnostic exam, to request appointments and more. It also created a FaceBook page to help the community at large keep apprised of its initiatives.

OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY: Progressive Radiology partnered with MedAnywhere, a RIS application developer, to establish efficient application modifications, including patient scheduling, insurance authorizations and third-party application integration, such as PACS and MR spectroscopy (MRS). The RIS to MRS interface facilitates thorough and expedient reporting turnaround time. A new MRS was installed to streamline the workflow process, creating a paperless environment, where staff can precisely monitor patient volume, patient recall rates, diagnosis accuracy, breast cancer detection rates and patients lost to follow-up.

PATIENT SERVICE: The group strives for excellence in patient satisfaction. In 2010, a professional customer service training initiative was established, and all of Progressive’s staff participated in this very successful program. Patient surveys conducted at the centers reflected outstanding patient experiences.

Progressive Radiology provides exam results within 24 hours, and sooner for urgent or stat exams. As part of a diagnostic mammography workup, the radiologist spends time with the patient, answering questions and reviewing images upon request. Patients leave the facility feeling reassured, knowing the results of the diagnostic exam and what is expected in follow-up with their physician. Positive breast imaging results are communicated to referring clinicians immediately to expedite patient care.

Scheduling coordinators work with patients and physicians to accommodate patients’ busy schedules. Progressive’s locations can accept walk-in patients and same-day add-on appointments. The transition to digital mammography has increased efficiency, which expanded daily screening mammography capacity, allowing the center to increase the number of scheduled time slots. Screening mammography and ultrasound hours are extended into the early evening and Saturdays to better accommodate patient work schedules.

Progressive provides educational brochures and pamphlets endorsed by the American Cancer Society for patients to take home. Patients may benefit from articles written by Progressive’s radiologist on procedures and other health-related topics. Its radiologists provide informative talks to the community and physicians.

TEAMWORK: Progressive Radiology’s operational philosophy is depicted in its logo, “excellent service every time.” This commitment to excellence can only be achieved through strict adherence to high standards and teamwork.

Within the organization, every staff member works collaboratively to accommodate patients’ needs, serving them in a courteous, respectful manner. The front desk and schedulers work closely with referring practices to accommodate patient appointment requests. The clinical liaisons ensure that referring physicians have the materials and information at their disposal to streamline their patients’ experiences.

The radiologists are on-site working closely with the technologists to collaborate on patient care, exam protocols, image quality and results. The radiologists are accessible at all times to internal staff and referring physician practices. Radiologists provide educational programs, on- and off-site lectures and training to referring physicians and the healthcare community. The IT department provides secure connectivity and maintains a streamlined workflow 24 hours a day for internal and external users.

Progressive’s community outreach initiatives are an opportunity to form alliances and “give back” to the community. One example is a recent fundraising campaign where breast cancer awareness T-shirts were designed and sold to the community and staff. All of the revenue went directly to the American Cancer Society.

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