RadSite Grants Accreditation to First Wave of MIPPA Program Applicants

ANNAPOLIS, Md. and HOUSTON, Nov. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- RadSite, a national leader in the certification and accreditation of diagnostic imaging systems--and now an official accrediting body as designated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS)--is pleased to announce the first wave of successful applicants for its Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) Accreditation Program (MAP).

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Six diagnostic imaging providers were approved for MAP designation by the RadSite Accreditation Committee for meeting the rigorous standards. This news follows RadSite's recent recognition by CMS as an Accreditation Organization as part of the MIPPA program, a hard-earned testament to RadSite's mission to improve safety and quality in imaging. 

"Based on CMS' approval of MAP, the Accreditation Committee determined that six applicants successfully met all of the standards and were passed," says Garry Carneal, RadSite president and CEO. RadSite's MIPPA Accreditation Program is awarded for a period of three years, during which time the approved facilities may continue to bill the Medicare program for their CT, MRI, PET and SPECT imaging procedures, he notes.

"We have been deeply engaged in RadSite's beta process since the beginning, and are extremely excited that the outstanding quality of RadSite's new accreditation program has been recognized by CMS on a national level," says Susan Schumer-Lurie, national director of quality at Alliance Healthcare Services, which has two facilities on the first-phase list of MAP designees. "We are also excited to have the MIPPA Accreditation Program available to our national network of imaging sites spanning 44 states."

The following imaging provider locations achieved MAP recognition from RadSite:

• Alliance MRI Norton, Norton, MA -- Accredited for MRI                       
• Nevada Imaging Centers-Siena, Henderson, NV -- Accredited for CT and MRI   
• Nevada Imaging Centers-Spring Valley, Las Vegas, NV -- Accredited for MRI
• PET Scan Arizona-Peoria, Peoria, AZ -- Accredited for PET
• PET Scan Arizona-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ -- Accredited for PET
• West Suburban Imaging, Wellesley, MA -- Accredited for CT and MRI   

"RadSite's MIPPA Accreditation Program was very straightforward and educational for those involved in the process," says Christina Burkhart, director of operations at Nevada Imaging Centers. "Everyone at our facility was impressed with the RadSite representatives' willingness to go out of their way to help us through the application process." 

Eliot Siegel, MD, RadSite's chief quality officer and chair of the RadSite Accreditation Committee, stresses that the highly interactive aspect of the RadSite accreditation process makes the experience educational, relevant and fair. "The ability to share best practices with the MAP applicants during the review process will ultimately improve clinical outcomes," he says. "Although every applicant had to make changes to meet the MAP Standards, the applicants viewed the accreditation experience positively."

According to Cherrill Farnsworth, RadSite board chair, "RadSite has developed and launched a best-in-class imaging accreditation program that assesses quality and other key indicators in a meaningful way. Not only do we have over 24,000 imaging facilities certified through the RadSite Assessment Program (RAP)," she notes, "but we are able to leverage our experience along with expanded oversight by the nationally-renowned experts on RadSite's Standards Committee to achieve these high standards. RadSite now can work with CMS and others to help protect Medicare beneficiaries through MAP."

To learn more about RadSite's recently launched MIPPA Accreditation Program or to begin an application, visit www.radsitequality.com/map.

About RadSite™ (www.radsitequality.com)

Founded in 2005, RadSite's mission is to promote quality-based practices for imaging systems across the United States and its territories. RadSite has certified over 24,000 imaging facilities covering at about 60,000 imaging systems. RadSite's certification and accreditation programs help assess, track and report imaging trends in an effort to enhance imaging procedures and outcomes. RadSite also offers educational programs, publishes issue briefs, and underwrites research on a complimentary basis to raise awareness of patient safety issues and to promote best practices. The organization is governed by an independent board and committee system, which is open to a wide-range of volunteers to ensure transparency and accountability. RadSite is expanding its activities and resources to serve patients, providers, payers, government agencies, and other stakeholder groups. To learn more about RadSite, please contact us at (855) 440-6001 or via email.

Jessica Larkin
(410) 863-7301
Email 

SOURCE RadSite