ACR revokes mammography facility’s accreditation after ignored records request

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting patients who have received breast imaging services from one Nashville provider amid concerns about its safety practices.

During the most recent review at Tennessee Women’s Care in August, inspectors found the facility had not performed regular quality control tests since November 2019. At the FDA’s urging, the American College of Radiology requested images and documents for an Additional Mammography Review.

The facility did not comply and as a result, ACR revoked its accreditation on Dec. 28, with FDA officials subsequently suspending Tennessee Women’s Care’s certificate.

“Under the [Mammography Quality Standards Act], the FDA requires that all mammography facilities meet certain baseline quality standards and be certified to legally operate in the United States. This facility did not meet the standards for mammography quality under the MQSA,” the agency said in an update posted Tuesday.

The feds are urging anyone who had mammograms at the facility to request copies of their medical records and have them reviewed at another certified facility. Officials will continue monitoring the issue and issue updates “as new information becomes available,” according to the announcement.

Marty Stempniak

Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic. 

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