Houston, TX and Annapolis, MD / PRWeb / November 7, 2013—RadSite, a national leader in the certification and accreditation of diagnostic imaging facilities, announces it has been approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as the fourth accreditation organization under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) of 2008. On September 27, 2013, CMS formally declared that RadSite’s standards and process for the accreditation of imaging providers with advanced diagnostic imaging (ADI) services met or exceeded all federal requirements.
Under MIPPA, all providers that bill CMS for ADI services under Part B of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule must be accredited in order to receive reimbursement for their services. “We are honored and excited that a federal agency as important as CMS recognizes the value of our accreditation standards,” says Cherrill Farnsworth, chair of RadSite’s Advisory Board. “RadSite is looking forward to partnering with CMS to facilitate quality-based imaging practices for patients around the country.”
RadSite’s MIPPA Accreditation Program (MAP) allows providers to apply for accreditation of their CT, MRI, PET and SPECT imaging systems with a single application. Similar to existing accreditation programs, the MAP program includes a review of personnel, policies and procedures, as well as sample clinical images and phantom studies.
“RadSite has reviewed over 24,000 imaging providers since 2005 pursuant to the RadSite Assessment Program (RAP),” notes Garry Carneal, JD, MA, president and CEO of RadSite. “Building out the more robust MAP accreditation standards with our Standards Committee, leading experts in the imaging field, and CMS has helped establish a best-in-class program.” Carneal is one of the most experienced accreditation experts in health care field having brought to market over 20 different accreditation programs since 1996.
RadSite’s accreditation process is designed as an extension of its educational mission, allowing providers a corrective action period to remedy any deficiencies and improve their processes, rather than failing outright. RadSite also provides constructive feedback through consultative on-site visits and listing suggested opportunities for improvement that can help all applicants take gradual steps to improving their quality even further.
“The diagnostic efficacy, quality and safety of an imaging study are critical to quality treatment of the patient,” notes Eliot Siegel, MD, RadSite’s chief quality officer. RadSite’s comprehensive programs highlight opportunities for imaging facilities to achieve a superior level of quality and safety that benefits all members of the health care continuum.
A first wave of RadSite MIPPA Accredited organizations will be announced in the near future. To learn more about RadSite’s MIPPA Accreditation Program requirements, or to begin an accreditation application, please visit www.radsitequality.com.
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About RadSite™ (www.radsitequality.com)
Founded in 2005, RadSite’s mission is to promote quality-based practices for imaging systems across the United States and its territories. RadSite has certified over 24,000 imaging facilities covering at about 60,000 imaging systems. RadSite’s certification and accreditation programs help assess, track and report imaging trends in an effort to enhance imaging procedures and outcomes. RadSite also offers educational programs, publishes issue briefs, and underwrites research on a complimentary basis to raise awareness of patient safety issues and to promote best practices. The organization is governed by an independent board and committee system, which is open to a wide-range of volunteers to ensure transparency and accountability. RadSite is expanding its activities and resources to serve patients, providers, payers, government agencies, and other stakeholder groups. To learn more about RadSite, please contact us at (855) 440-6001 or info@radsitequality.com.