CarePoint Health - Christ Hospital Awarded American College of Radiology Designation as Lung Cancer Screening Center

CarePoint Health is first to receive this designation in Hudson County

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Jun 04, 2015, 12:20 ET

JERSEY CITY, N.J., June 4, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CarePoint Health, a fully integrated healthcare system that provides quality, patient-focused healthcare to residents of Hudson County, today announced that CarePoint Health - Christ Hospital has been named an American College of Radiology (ACR) designated center for lung cancer screening, making it the first facility to receive this designation in Hudson County. The designation recognizes organizations for meeting the highest standards in providing safe, effective diagnostic care for individuals at the highest risk for lung cancer. CarePoint Health's Department of Radiology, headed by Dr. Vivek Masson, provides comprehensive, state-of-the-art imaging services along with high quality, multidisciplinary care that includes collaboration with Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Ziad Hanhan.

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"This designation further affirms CarePoint Health's dedication to providing superior healthcare services to the nearly 300,000 people who come through our doors each year," said Dr. Nizar Kifaieh, CarePoint Health Chief Medical Officer. "Lung cancer screening has been shown to significantly reduce death associated with the disease and now, as the first accredited center in Hudson County, CarePoint Health - Christ Hospital can provide proven safe and effective screenings to ensure long and healthy lives for all Hudson County residents."

"Receiving this designation is a testament to the exceptional care provided here at CarePoint Health - Christ Hospital," said Dr. William Holubek, CarePoint Health - Christ Hospital Chief Medical Officer. "Improving public health and promoting preventive care and regular screenings are paramount in patient care. I commend Dr. Masson and the entire Department of Radiology for this amazing milestone and for the efforts they put forth every day to make CarePoint Health - Christ Hospital the best place to give and receive care."

"I am proud that our Department of Radiology is being formally recognized for the high quality healthcare delivery it has become known for and now as the first in Hudson County, offering residents yet another way to stay healthy," said Dr. Vivek Masson, Medical Director, Department of Radiology for CarePoint Health. "Our focus on multidisciplinary care, including our work with Dr. Hanhan, strengthens our ability to treat all patients fully and effectively. Our hope is that, through these efforts, every patient who comes through our facilities leaves happy and healthy, and this designation brings us one step closer to making this a reality."

In order to receive this designation, facilities must have a prior ACR accreditation in chest module computed tomography (CT), and must adhere to comprehensive facility, safety, reporting, and counseling requirements put forward by the American College of Radiology.

Lung cancer is the nation's leading cancer killer – taking the lives of more people each year than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. Lung cancer screening with low-dose CT scans, and appropriate follow-up care, significantly reduces lung cancer deaths. In 2013, the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommended screening of adults aged 55 to 80 years who have a 30 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. Many insurance companies now cover low-dose CT screening for those considered to be at high risk. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced that they would provide coverage to Medicare recipients who meet the criteria.

The American College of Radiology, founded in 1924, is a professional medical society dedicated to serving patients and society by empowering radiology professionals to advance the practice, science and professions of radiological care. The ACR is at the forefront of the radiology, representing more than 37,000 diagnostic radiologists, radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians and medical physicists. Its core functional areas — advocacy, economics, education, quality and safety, research, and membership value — are improving, promoting, and protecting the practice of radiology.

For media inquiries, contact:

Jarrod Bernstein
CarePoint Health
Director of Corporate Communications
Phone: 201-884-5300
Email: [email protected]

About CarePoint Health
CarePoint Health brings quality, patient-focused healthcare to the Hudson County region. Combining the resources of three area hospitals – Bayonne Medical Center, Christ Hospital in Jersey City, and Hoboken University Medical Center, and the CarePoint Health Medical Group – CarePoint Health provides a new approach to deliver healthcare that puts the patient front and center. We leverage a network of top doctors, nurses and other medical professionals whose expertise and attentiveness work together to provide complete coordination of care, from the doctor's office to the hospital to the home. Patients benefit from the expertise and capabilities of a broad network of leading specialists and specialized technology. At CarePoint Health, all of our medical professionals emphasize preventive medicine and focus on educating patients to make healthy life choices. For more information on our facilities, partners and services, visit us at www.carepointhealth.org.

SOURCE CarePoint Health