Heart Health
Yale-New Haven Among First to be Accredited in Nuclear Cardiology Procedures
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Oct 9, 2008 - 10:44:37 AM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - New Haven, CT - October 9, 2008 - The Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Nuclear Medicine Laboratories (ICANL) recently granted three-year accreditation to the cardiac PET imaging program at Yale-New Haven Hospital (YNHH). Cardiac PET imaging at YNHH is one of the first programs in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico to be accredited for cardiac PET imaging.

PET (positron emission tomography) is a high-energy, nuclear medicine imaging technique which produces a three-dimensional image of functional processes in the body. Cardiac PET imaging measures heart viability and provides one of the most effective methods of diagnosing conditions leading to coronary heart disease. PET produces images of the highest quality.

The ICANL also renewed accreditation of the nuclear cardiology laboratory at YNHH for another three years. Yale-New Haven's nuclear cardiology lab is one of the first of its kind in the U.S., receiving initially accredited in 1997 with the establishment of ICANL. Through use of a stress test, procedures in the lab can assess the blood flow of the heart and help detect blockages so that physicians can diagnose cardiovascular disease and also discover information regarding the possibility of future heart attacks.

"We are extremely pleased to receive these accreditations for our nuclear cardiology programs," said Albert J. Sinusas, MD, director of the Cardiovascular Nuclear Imaging and Stress Laboratory in the YNHH Heart and Vascular Center. They distinguish Yale-New Haven as a leader in providing excellent quality services, meeting and exceeding safety standards and producing the highest quality of images which, in turn, means we can provide better information for our patients."

The ICANL accreditation program evaluates the quality of critical elements of PET imaging facilities as well as nuclear cardiology and general nuclear medicine laboratories. It provides a peer review mechanism to encourage and recognize the provision of quality nuclear medicine diagnostic evaluations. ICANL, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to ensuring high quality patient care.

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