Our Commitment to Your Safety

Montefiore Medical Center is committed to ensuring patient safety during medical imaging.

As part of this patient safety goal, all requests for Computed Tomography (CT) imaging—a method that accounts for a large percentage of medical radiation exposure—are reviewed by a board-certified radiologist.  When appropriate other procedures, which do not involve patient radiation exposure (such as ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging), are substituted.

Radiology patients should also note that:

• All requests for CT imaging are reviewed by a board-certified radiologist.
• Alternatives to CT imaging, such as Ultrasound or Magnetic Resonance Imaging, will be recommended and used, when appropriate.
• We perform fluoroscopic evaluation of all patients under the standards set by the "Image Lightly" national campaign to reduce medical radiation.
• CT and fluoroscopic dose levels are continuously monitored in accordance with the American College of Radiology requirements.
• You are encouraged to discuss their concerns regarding radiation exposure with their referring clinician or with one of our department's subspecialty-trained, board-certified radiologists.

Procedures are based on a patient's age, size and reason for the exam. We firmly believe in the ALARA Principle, which states that any radiation dose should always be "as low are reasonably achievable."

As part of our patient safety initiative, our department provides ongoing feedback and education to clinicians, radiologists and technologists on medical imaging.