NGMC receives accreditation for echocardiography

GAINESVILLE - The Echocardiography Laboratories at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC)'s main campus and Lanier Park campus recently received national accreditation for echocardiography through the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL).

Echocardiography is a non-invasive test used to detect and manage many types of heart disease and has become a standard diagnostic cardiology tool. It is a complex imaging technique that relies on the experience and training of both physician and sonographer. Their interpretive and technical abilities determine the diagnostic accuracy of an echocardiogram.

Participation in the accreditation process is voluntary. Accreditation status signifies that the facility has been reviewed by an independent agency which recognizes the lab's commitment to quality testing for the diagnosis of heart disease.

"We are providing the images and information that our physicians use to diagnose patients at a level that is consistent with recognized national standards," said Tom Edwards, director of Cardiac Services at NGMC.

"Having accreditation means your lab demonstrates precision and accuracy in accordance with best practices that have been established over a long period of time."

At NGMC, echocardiography is one test performed at the W.D. Stribling Heart Clinic. Others include electrocardiography, vascular studies, stress tests and nuclear stress tests.

For more information about Cardiac Services at NGMC, call (770) 531-3840.