PRESQUE ISLE — The Aroostook Medical Center’s mammography service has been accredited by the American College of Radiology, making it the only accredited mammography service in Aroostook County, and the eighth in the state.

The accreditation program, which began in November 1987, was created in response to two major concerns expressed by radiologists, other national medical organizations and the public. Qualified personnel perform and interpret mammograms with dedicated mammographic equipment to ensure that women receive optimum mammographic examinations with the lowest possible radiation dose.

TAMC has met the necessary requirements including a peer evaluation of staff qualifications, equipment, and a review of quality control and quality assurance programs, image quality and breast dose. explained Jay Kilpatrick, administrative director of radiology at TAMC.

“By receiving this accreditation, our patients are assured they are getting the best possible care,” said Jay Kilpatrick, administrative director of radiology at TAMC. “Seventy-one percent of the hospitals and facilities pass the review on the first try.”

TAMC’s mammographers perform 12 to 14 tests daily. In 1990, 800 more tests were performed than in the previous year, for a yearly total of almost 2,700 mammograms.

The type of equipment used is also a factor in receiving accreditation, said Kilpatrick.

“TAMC’s mammography unit is state-of-the-art,” she said. “The two-year-old, $75,000 unit was purchased with proceeds from the Presque Isle Rotary Club, private donations and support from local businesses and organizations.

Through cooperation with the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute and other organizations, the accreditation program works to provide the public with information about the need for early detection of breast cancer and the role of screening mammography.