Summit Medical Group is pleased to announce that its Nuclear Medicine service has earned American College of Radiology (ACR) reaccreditation, valid through January 2013, for its quality care and patient safety in nuclear imaging.

Nuclear imaging is a safe, painless, and cost-effective way to gather information about the structure and function of the body. It is used to identify and treat disease in cardiology, endocrinology, oncology, and radiology patients. For example, "Nuclear stress testing is an extremely accurate method of determining if chest pain is caused by severe coronary blockages," said Robert Slama, MD, FACC, Chief of Cardiology at Summit Medical Group. In addition, "Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy are often monitored for chemotherapy-related cardiac abnormalities using a multigated acquisition scan (MUGA)," according to Michael Wax, MD, Head of Oncology at Summit Medical Group. "For patients with thyroid abnormalities, nuclear medicine studies allow diagnosis and treatment and, with ultrasound, full thyroid services," notes Robert Rosenbaum, MD, FACP, FACE, Summit Medical Group Endocrinologist.

Nuclear imaging allows physicians to identify abnormalities early in the course of a disease before many other diagnostic tests reveal problems. This advantage helps physicians treat patients sooner, sometimes preempting more serious problems from developing. It also allows physicians to gather medical information that would otherwise be unavailable, require surgery, or necessitate more expensive diagnostic tests. Diagnosing patients without surgery or surgical biopsy is especially important in elderly and high-risk patients.

Founded in 1923, the ACR is a professional medical organization for diagnostic radiologists, radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists. For more than 75 years, the ACR has been devoted to quality patient care through safe, effective, and accessible imaging for patients. The ACR helps establish standards for the practice of radiology, provides education for radiologists and allied health professionals, and conducts research.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact Summit Medical Group Cardiology at 908-273-4300, Endocrinology at 908-277-8667, Oncology at 908-277-8890, or Imaging at 908-277-8673.