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JFK Medical Center North suspends mammograms

Posted at 10:32 PM, Dec 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-17 22:32:48-05

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Carol, who asked us not to be identified, is reading from a letter she received last month.

"The FDA determined that they failed to meet the clinical image quality standards established.” The letter is from the Breast Institute at JFK North.

Last year, after the result of a mammogram she went to a different facility for a MRI. Two biopsies later, she found out she didn’t have breast cancer. She thought her worries were over.

"What I went through with that even though my test result came out benign," she said.

The letter focuses on the time between October 2017 and October 2019. The hospital is notifying patients. The letter says the FDA asked the facility to stop performing mammography.

Local doctor, Dr. Maureen Whelihan, says patients should not panic.

"The good news whatever the problem is it's being resolved so what do we do with those individuals in the middle of services, " he said.

"If you are uncomfortable with this letter, and you don't want to proceed with followup at a JFK facility, then you would want to get your records and either have a conversation with a breast surgeon or have your images re-read or re-done somewhere else."

JFK Medical Center released this statement:

The Breast Institute at JFK Medical Center North Campus has stopped providing mammography services while we implement a comprehensive plan to improve these services. We are notifying patients who have received scans at our hospital. For patients who had a mammogram during the review period, we are working diligently to have these re-read or re-done, if necessary, at no cost to patients. It’s important to note that this change only affects mammography services; the hospital remains accredited by the Joint Commission, and we’re working closely with the American College of Radiology to improve our mammography services.