The MCG Adult Echocardiography Laboratory recently earned its accreditation from the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories. The lab is the only one in Augusta and one of 1,000 in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico to earn this honor.

Accreditation by this organization signifies a lab’s dedication to high-quality diagnostic testing and patient care. Participation in the accreditation process is voluntary, and the application documentation is peer reviewed.

“As heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the U.S., reliance on tools such as echocardiography to diagnose and evaluate disease becomes ever more important,” said Dr. Carolyn Landolfo, Director of Adult Echocardiography at the MCG Cardiovascular Center. “Lab expertise and technical ability are necessary for accurate testing.  This certification is evidence of our excellence.”

Echocardiography employs ultrasound technology to examine heart and valve function. MCG’s lab features a three-dimensional imaging system and digital recording system that allows physicians to produce stop-action images for comparison.

MCG Health System is composed of three separate organizations -- MCG Health, Inc. and the clinical services offered by the faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the members of the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation. The physicians of MCG Health System are community physicians, faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia, or employees of the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation, not employees of MCG Health, Inc.  MCG Health, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCG Medical Center, MCG Children’s Medical Center, the MCG Sports Medicine Center, MCG Ambulatory Care Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center and related clinical facilities and services. MCG Health, Inc. was formed to support the research and education mission of the Medical College of Georgia and to build the economic growth of the CSRA, the state of Georgia and the Southeast by providing an environment for faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation and community physicians to deliver the highest level of primary and specialty health care.  For more information, please visit www.MCGHealth.org.