Stay Informed

November/December 2009

Rush-Copley Breast Imaging Program Earns Honors

Rush-Copley has been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR). This award from the ACR recognizes breast imaging centers that have earned accreditation in all of the College’s voluntary, breast-imaging accreditation programs and modules, in addition to the mandatory Mammography Accreditation Program. Rush-Copley is the only hospital in the greater Fox Valley area, and only one of 17 facilities in the state to receive the designation.

The breast imaging services at Rush-Copley are fully accredited in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, breast ultrasound and ultrasound-guided breast biopsy. Peer-review evaluations, conducted in each breast imaging modality by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field, have determined that Rush-Copley has achieved high practice standards in image quality, personnel qualifications, facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs.

Rush-Copley offers leading-edge screening and treatment for breast cancer. The medical center’s breast health program has outstanding outcomes – among the highest in the state.

To learn more, visit rushcopley.com/quality.

Five Benefits of Being Smoke-Free

Sometimes, it’s good to be a quitter! Smoking is one of the most harmful activities you can do to damage your health. There are hundreds of benefits of quitting. Here are five reasons to kick the habit for keeps.

• Cigarettes contain about 599 ingredients and produce over 4,000 harmful chemicals when smoked. Cigarette smoke contains some of the most carcinogenic (cancer causing) compounds known to man.
• Smoking may kill brain cells, impair memory and cause depression.
• Within 24 hours of quitting your risk of a sudden heart attack decreases and within one year of quitting your risk of coronary heart disease is half that of someone still using tobacco.
• Children are especially vulnerable to second-hand smoke. Most of the time they do not have a choice as to whether or not they inhale these fumes. The toxic chemicals in cigarettes can do a tremendous amount of harm to kids.
• Smoke stains clothes, hair and nails and smells bad!

Find Support

Make a New Year’s resolution now to quit smoking in 2010. Rush-Copley hosts Freedom from Smoking® a program sponsored by the American Lung Association. An experienced facilitator, who understands the unique challenges of quitting, leads the sessions. A new session begins in January. Register online or call 866-4COPLEY (1-866-426-7539).