Cardiac MRI

AGH CARDIAC MRI PROGRAM RECEIVES COVETED NATIONAL ACCREDITATION

PITTSBURGH (June 11, 2007) - Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) announced today that its nationally recognized Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) program was granted accreditation by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Magnetic Resonance Laboratories (ICAMRL).

Cardiac MRI labs applying for the ICAMRL accreditation undergo an exhaustive review that documents all operational, staffing and technical components.  During the review process, every aspect of the lab’s daily operations and their impact on the quality of health care provided to patients is assessed and analyzed by an expert panel. AGH is one of just four medical centers in the country to have an ICAMRL accredited cardiac MRI program.
“AGH’s leading role in use of cardiac MRI to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease is well established on an international level.  This new accreditation is a testament to the program’s impressive capabilities and to the medical team’s dedication to providing outstanding clinical care,” said Srinivas Murali, M.D., director, AGH Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and medical director of the AGH Gerald McGinnis Cardiovascular Institute.

“This is a highly coveted award recognizing only the best cardiac MRI labs in the country that pass a litany of stringent measures,” said Robert W. W. Biederman, MD, Director of Cardiovascular MRI at AGH.  “Accreditation status signifies that the AGH Cardiac MRI program affords the highest quality of diagnostic cardiac care.” AGH’s cardiac MRI program is one of the nation’s most advanced facilities of its kind for both clinical care and research.  It is the only dedicated CMR lab in the Commonwealth and the most comprehensive such program in the state.