Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin is third pediatric hospital in the country designated a “Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence”
Milwaukee – Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin has been designated a Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence™ by the American College of Radiology, making it only the third pediatric hospital in the United States to earn the designation. The Imaging Program at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin is one of the nation’s leading programs for children, with a team made up of more than 250 pediatric radiologists, nurses and technologists who have special training in care for infants, children and teens.
“This designation represents the absolute pinnacle of medical imaging care, and is a hallmark of the elite pediatric care Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin provides as the only health system in Wisconsin 100-percent dedicated to caring for kids,” said David Gregg, MD, medical director of pediatric imaging at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and associate professor of radiology at Medical College of Wisconsin. “As a top pediatric hospital, we know that caring for kids requires a unique set of skills and is not the same as caring for adults. Our imaging specialists are board certified in pediatric radiology, and many have specialized fellowships in pediatric body imaging, head and neck imaging or invasive radiology, meaning our team knows how to obtain the best images using the lowest doses of radiation possible.”
The Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Imaging Department completes over 125,000 exams annually and has a repeat rate for pediatric imaging exams of 3.6 percent – well below the national average of 5.5 percent.
Because Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s pediatric radiologists only treat kids, they are often able to require fewer images and studies, limiting a child’s exposure to radiation and reducing costs for the family. For example, a radiologist for adults may need to take images of both a child’s broken arm and their uninjured arm for comparison. Since pediatric radiologists specialize in children’s bodies and are very familiar with their bone structure, they may not need the second image.
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s Imaging Team is dedicated to making every imaging experience as comfortable as possible for the child involved by telling them what’s going on in language they can understand and using a variety of distraction techniques, such as singing songs or playing music or videos during the procedure. The team also keeps the patient’s family informed and comfortable with the procedures.
The American College of Radiology’s Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence is an achievement that goes beyond accreditation to recognize best-quality imaging practices and diagnostic care. This includes a comprehensive assessment of the entire medical imaging enterprise, including structure and outcomes. According to the American College of Radiology, the designation recognizes excellence at multiple levels, including the professional staff, the technology and the policies and procedures the organization follows, and superior patient care.
In order to receive this elite distinction, facilities must be accredited by the American College of Radiology for all modalities they provide, and for which the College offers an accreditation program. Other requirements include participation in the Dose Index Registry® and General Radiology Improvement Database, as well as Image Wisely® and Image Gently®.
About Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin is the region’s only independent health care system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children. The hospital, with locations in Milwaukee and Neenah, Wis., is recognized as one of the leading pediatric health care centers in the United States. It is ranked in 9 specialty areas in U.S. News & World Report’s 2015-16 Best Children’s Hospitals report. Children’s provides primary care, specialty care, urgent care, emergency care, community health services, foster and adoption services, child and family counseling, child advocacy services and family resource centers. In 2013, Children’s invested more than $105 million in the community to improve the health status of children through medical care, advocacy, education and pediatric medical research. Children’s achieves its mission in part through donations from individuals, corporations and foundations and is proud to be a member of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. For more information, visit the website at chw.org.
