Imaging Healthcare Specialists Introduces New Image Wisely™ Initiative

SAN DIEGO, May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Imaging Healthcare Specialists (IHS) is proud to announce the initiation and unwavering commitment to Image Wisely™ – a program encouraging practitioners to avoid unnecessary ionizing radiation procedures and to use the lowest optimal radiation dose for necessary studies.  Image Wisely™, created by the ACR Joint Task Force on Adult Radiation Protection, offers resources and information to address concerns about the surge of public exposure to ionizing radiation from medical imaging.

It is the goal of Imaging Healthcare Specialists to be a leader in this initiative by implementing the concepts of Image Wisely™ within everyday practice and to communicate supporting educational information to referring professionals and their patients.  This commitment ensures Imaging Healthcare Specialists holds accreditation by the American College of Radiology, employees are credentialed by the governing accreditation boards and licensed by the State of California, and radiologists are board certified by the American Board of Radiology.  The program also requires all facilities have completed an external review process to meet nationally accepted standards of care and medical imaging equipment is inspected by a medical physicist.

"It is our commitment to our patients' safety, health, and welfare that makes this program such a perfect fit for us," said Dr. John O. Johnson, Chief of CT Imaging.  "To convey the principles of the Image Wisely™ program, Imaging Healthcare Specialists has optimized imaging protocols to ensure it is using the least amount of radiation necessary to acquire a diagnostic quality image for each examination," concluded Johnson.

In addition, Imaging Healthcare Specialists has aggressively adopted the practice of ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) to limit the use of ionizing radiation.  In support of this, Imaging Healthcare Specialists radiologists and staff have implemented a number of dose reduction protocols specific to CT imaging and routinely shield breast and thyroid tissue. This provides patients with a safe, high quality imaging examination tailored by clinical indication.

Imaging Healthcare Specialists is a full service outpatient medical imaging center company offering specialized imaging services throughout San Diego County and southern Riverside County.  For decades, the principals of Imaging Healthcare Specialists have been committed to offering the best medical imaging technology, highly specialized expertise, and exceptional customer service to physicians and patients in southern California.  For more information, please visit www.imaginghealthcare.com or call (858) 658-6500

SOURCE Imaging Healthcare Specialists