The Ultrasound Practice Accreditation Council of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) has awarded the Obstetrics and Gynecologic (Ob/Gyn) Sonography Department of Parkland Health & Hospital System ultrasound practice accreditation in the areas of Obstetrics, 1st through 3rd trimester, Gynecology, Adjunct in 3-D (Gyn), Fetal Echocardiography and Adjunct Detailed Fetal Anatomic Ultrasound.
As part of Parkland’s Women’s and Infants Specialty Health (WISH) services, the Ob/Gyn Sonography Department is a referral site for women’s imaging throughout the Parkland system and Northeast Texas, providing services that improve care and outcomes for women of all ages. It also serves as the venue for clinical training of medical students, physicians and sonographers.
“The Ultrasound Practice Accreditation Council commends Parkland Memorial Hospital, Department of OB/GYN Sonography on its achievement and recognizes the efforts you have taken to provide quality ultrasound,” said Anita J. Moon-Grady, MD, Chair, Ultrasound Practice Accreditation Council.
Parkland achieved this recognition by meeting rigorous guidelines set by the diagnostic ultrasound profession. All facets of the practice were assessed, including the training and qualifications of physicians and sonographers as well as ultrasound equipment maintenance, documentation, storage, and record-keeping practices. Quality assurance mechanisms reviewed included policies and procedures to protect patients and staff as well as a thorough assessment of technical quality and interpretation of the sonograms the practice performs.
Since its launch, the OB/Gyn Sonography Department has grown from one sonographer and one exam room with a volume of approximately 3,000 ultrasound studies in 1989 to an annual volume now of more than 43,000 procedures performed in nine locations throughout Dallas and Tarrant County, along with 24/7 coverage in the emergency and inpatient areas at Parkland.
Ultrasound-guided procedures are performed daily by a staff of 24 registered diagnostic sonographers with credentials in Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as six sonographers with credentials in Fetal Echo, some with more than 20 years of sonographic experience. The team also provides on-site service to seven of Parkland’s community Women’s Health Centers, offering routine imaging in pregnancy.
The department is led by both Maternal Fetal Medicine and Radiology physicians with extensive training in complex fetal and maternal complications, as well gynecologic benign and malignant diseases.
“Mary Gibbs, manager of Women’s Health Diagnostic, and the team of sonographers exemplify the quality care that Parkland provides to women in the WISH division and this national accreditation from the AIUM is an acknowledgement of their excellent service,” said Diane Twickler, MD, Medical Director.
