Health center’s mammography issue addressed

HILO >> A Hilo center that provides mammography services is on track to resume operations after its services were decertified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Procedures at the Hilo Women’s Imaging Center were suspended in March after the FDA found that images taken by one of the center’s two mammography machines failed to meet quality standards, The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported Sunday.

Dr. David Camacho, a partner and co-owner of Hawaii Radiologic Associates Ltd., said both the center’s machines have since been accredited by the American College of Radiology and that the facility is awaiting the FDA’s approval to resume mammography procedures.

The center was required to send out 12,000 letters in April to patients who received a mammogram between June 2014 and August 2015, when problems with images could have been made. Patients were advised to check with their physicians to determine whether they needed to have their mammograms reviewed and offered free screening.

As of Thursday 3,750 people had called their physicians or the center asking for a new review. Camacho said physicians have been “totally helpful and understanding” in handling the high volume of calls.

So far, 350 of the 3,750 mammograms have been checked, and three women have asked to come in for another screening.

Once the Hilo center has been recertified, it will be open seven days a week to address an appointment backlog that has grown since the suspension of mammography procedures.