Accreditation is a voluntary option for MRI sites wishing to demonstrate a commitment to quality control. A growing number of MRI centers are feeling pressure to become certified by the American College of Radiology (ACR) MRI Accreditation Program. The pressure increased on January 1, 2001. As of that date, Aetna U.S. Healthcare announced they will stop paying for MRI scans performed at unaccredited MRI centers. This is a part of Aetna's focus on providing only high quality accredited services to its insured. Other third party payers are considering following suit. Last year, Rhode Island became the first state to require ACR Accreditation for MRI sites operating within its borders, according to a news story at auntminnie.com .

Many sites are having difficulty meeting the certification requirements. More than half (57%) of initial applications are rejected, according to Dr. Jeffrey Weinreb, the chairman of the ACR MRI accreditation program, writing in the July 2000 issue of Diagnostic Imaging. As Dr. Weinreb discusses, some have assumed that the program is aimed at stemming the proliferation of low field MRI scanners. That a substantial fraction of the failures are going to high field imagers belies that notion.

There are many reasons why sites are failing. The causes include subtle problems with the imager performance, choice of imaging parameters inappropriate for the anatomy or the imager's field strength, as well as failure to follow the ACR's precise instructions for positioning and imaging the ACR test phantom. The diverse expertise of our large staff is well equipped to guide you over the hurdles.