December 18, 1998

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, costing society more than $83.7 billion each year in health services, medications and disability compensation.

To help detect and manage many types of heart disease, echocardiography has become one of the standard diagnostic tools in cardiology. Echocardio- graphy is a complex imaging technique that noninvasively records the position and motion of the heart walls and internal structures – such as valves – with sound waves.

The Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories has developed an accreditation program to evaluate the quality of echocardiography labs across the country and recently accredited the MGH Echocardiography Lab. The lab is the first and only lab in New England to be recognized by the commission for its high-quality diagnostic testing and patient care for both adult and pediatric patients.

"We are very excited to receive this accreditation after a very extensive review process," says Michael Picard, MD, clinical director of the MGH Echocardio-graphy Lab. "This award is a tribute to all members of our operation and reaffirms our efforts to provide high-quality diagnostic information that affects patient care."