Mammography Educators
In The Spotlight
We're honored that our methods and consultants are being recognized by our partners, clients and the public.
Press
Staff at the Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre have recently honed their skills by completing a refresher course to help improve mammogram efficiency. A spokeswoman for the cancer charity said its team of technologists took a refresher course in mammography positioning training with mammography educators to equip them with “the latest techniques and methodologies”, including the Miller Method, to enhance the care they offer. The Miller Method, developed by Louise C Miller, focuses on proficient mammography positioning to improve accuracy, reduce positioning errors and improve diagnostic quality.
Dr. Eliot Siegel, our Clinical Advisory Board Member, speaks with Louise on the impact of COVID-19 on mammography positioning and her perspective on the value of A.I. in breast screening. "We did a survey about a year ago and asked 100 mammography technologists, 'Do you think that the techs in your department position the same way?' 81% said no. No wonder we’re having a problem."
Two native radiographers, Latavia Ingham and Andresha Gardiner from the Turks and Caicos Island Hospital have expanded their skillset and were recently trained and certified to perform mammography examinations. Dawn Derenburger, Senior Consultant [and Mammography Technologist] at Mammography Educators, conducted the training. The radiographers completed a four-week course offered by Mammography Educators.
Jennifer Jodrey, a Billings Clinic mammography technologist, didn’t even know she needed the training. Performing mammograms — using low-dose X-rays to image examine the tissue of a woman’s breast, most often to detect cancer — is her job, and she’s been doing it daily without problems, but it only took a day or so of training with Louise Miller, education director and co-founder of Mammography Educators, to see the difference in her work…
We are honored that Jen Callahan, host of the podcast, Skeleton Crew: The Rad Tech Show reached out to us with an invitation to have Ms. Louise Miller, RTRM on the show to provide their audience with a comprehensive overview of the evolution of mammography education and the advancements in breast imaging. The focus is on the unique approach to education, personal and emotional aspects of mammography, and the data-driven positioning technique known as The Miller Method™.
"In this episode, we gain valuable insights into the challenges faced by early mammographers, the development of educational standards, and the global landscape of mammography. The episode highlights the significance of a comprehensive and empathetic approach to education, the role of advanced technologies like Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT), and the increasing trend of technologists seeking training in breast ultrasound. Additionally, it explores the structure of Mammography Initial Training (MIT) programs and the commitment to continuous improvement."
Volpara Health Technologies Ltd., a global leader in software for the early detection and prevention of cancer, announces St. Luke’s University Health Network as the recipient of its inaugural “Analytics in Action Designation of Excellence” award. This award recognizes healthcare facilities that consistently deliver high-quality mammograms, achieving benchmarks objectively measured by Volpara Analytics™. St. Luke’s, already renowned for exceptional quality care, embarked on a mission to standardize excellence across all its breast centers and to support ongoing staff development for their 16 breast centers and 65 mammography technologists. They have distinguished their breast program by adopting Volpara Analytics software and participating in the comprehensive Analytics in Action™ program. This program sets goals endorsed by The Miller Method and measured by Volpara Analytics exclusive TruPGMI® algorithm. Assessments are completed at 30, 60, and 90 days after hands-on, intensive training. These tools have enabled St. Luke’s to achieve the highest level of sustained mammography quality among Volpara Health’s global customer base.
AI algorithms in Volpara® Analytics™ personalize technologist skill development. High quality mammography is the foundation of a successful breast cancer screening program. A technologist’s positioning skill affects the sensitivity and specificity of mammography, and poor positioning is a significant cause of technical recalls. However, measuring, understanding, and improving your mammography quality is no simple feat. Sally Grady, the Director of the Kettering Health Breast Centers says, “We could just say we have world-class quality, but we actually have the data to prove it.” So how exactly did she get there? Let’s take a look.
The TAA program offers career growth opportunities for both current employees and new hires while enhancing patient access to diagnostic imaging by addressing technologist shortages. US Radiology Specialists, Inc., one of the nation's premier providers of diagnostic imaging services, is proud to celebrate the continued success of its Technologist Advancement Academy (TAA) program and to announce expansion of the program into mammography. The TAA program provides specialized training and career pathways for technologists across all US Radiology partner companies in multiple imaging modalities, including MRI, CT, and now mammography. In addition to employee development, this program also addresses the critical shortage of imaging technologists nationwide that impacts the ability of patients to get a timely appointment for their diagnostic imaging needs.
Partnerships
Densitas® Inc., a global provider of A.I. technologies for digital mammography and breast screening, announced today their partnership with Mammography Educators to offer the first artificial intelligence powered telehealth technologist training platform to support business continuity in mammography facilities…
MetriTrack, Inc., a provider of automated breast ultrasound solutions is pleased to announce an agreement with Mammography Educators LLC., a worldwide leading provider of mammography and breast ultrasound education services and products. Under the agreement, Mammography Educators will support the training of breast Sonographers using MetriTrack's technology on site and remotely. MetriTrack's BVN G-2000 technology is uniquely positioned to support the expansion of breast ultrasound at existing imaging facilities as well as new sites. This is made possible through the automatization of handheld ultrasound, powered by MetriTrack's precise mapping technology that aims to consistently obtain high-quality standardized exams with all users, at any location.
The companies have been working together since the 2018 integration of Mammography Educators training videos into Volpara Analytics™, the first software to provide automated and objective assessment of image quality on every mammogram, including positioning. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) attributes poor positioning as the cause of most clinical image deficiencies and most failures of accreditation.
