July 7, 2006

MGH vascular laboratory receives three-year accreditation

MGH's Vascular Diagnostic Laboratory was one of a select few vascular labs in the U.S. to meet or exceed the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL) standard for noninvasive vascular testing. The ICAVL granted the MGH lab with a three-year accreditation for its continued commitment to providing a high level of patient care and quality testing for the diagnosis of vascular disease. The lab also is the first in Massachusetts to be accredited in all five testing areas — extracranial cerebrovascular, intraranial cerebrovascular, peripheral venous, peripheral arterial and visceral vascular.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., costing more than $83.7 billion each year in health services, medications and lost work time due to disability. Early detection of these life-threatening diseases is possible through the use of non-invasive vascular testing techniques performed within vascular laboratories such as the MGH's Vascular Diagnostic Laboratory.