To our ACR Accredited Facilities (except mammography),
In this unprecedented time, we want to make sure you know that the ACR is working hard to keep business as usual and be available and provide support to our accredited facilities. We recognize that there will be uncertainty of patient volumes, limited resources, limitations on physics support etc. that may affect the ability to meet accreditation deadlines and we will provide as much flexibility on accreditation processes as possible. Thank you for all of your hard work and providing the safest care possible to your patients.
Annual Medical Physicist Equipment Surveys for Accreditation
In response to increasing limitations and restrictions of physicist access to imaging facilities due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the ACR will extend the annual medical physicist equipment survey accreditation requirement to a 16-month window from date of last equipment evaluation. Facilities needing a longer extension and those who are unable to obtain physics testing or acceptance testing on new units are asked to contact the ACR for further guidance.
To our ACR Mammography Accredited Facilities
In this unprecedented time, we want to make sure you know that the ACR is working hard to keep business as usual and be available and provide support to our accredited facilities. We recognize that there will be uncertainty of patient volumes, limited resources, limitations on physics support, etc. that may affect the ability to meet accreditation deadlines and we will provide as much flexibility on accreditation process as possible. If your facility is nearing your expiration date, ACR staff will reach out to you, if needed, and assist you with the process of extending your facility's MQSA expiration date through Interim Accreditation and MQSA Certificate Extensionswhen there is less than 30 days left on your current MQSA certificate.
(Updated September 02, 2021) FDA has updated its MQSA Inspection Information Related to COVID-19 page to include the Enforcement Policy for the Quality Standards of the Mammography Quality Standards Act During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Due to the evolving COVID-19 impact on travel and facility operations, FDA intends to allow mammography facilities who document circumstances as to why they are unable to have their annual survey within 14 months, a six-month extension (from the FDA recommended 14-month timeframe) for the facility to complete the annual survey. A request for an extension does not need to be filed with FDA. For additional Certification questions, we ask that you contact the FDA.
All on-site surveys (Validation Site Surveys, Radiation Oncology, Random On Site Surveys, Scheduled On Site Surveys and Diagnostic Center of Excellence Surveys) have been suspended until further notice. Please contact the ACR for virtual site visit information for Radiation Oncology and Diagnostic Center of Excellence.
