Newtown Resident Receives Federal Inspection Certification

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced Janyuary 9 that DEP employee and Newtown resident Jennifer Chion received her certification from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to inspect and certify proper operation of mammography facilities licensed by the FDA to perform mammograms in Connecticut. 

In a ceremony at DEP Headquarters, Michael Leal, Radiological Health Representative for the FDA’s New England Region, presented the certifications to Ms Chion and DEP employee Maxine McCarthy of Coventry.

Inspections of facilities that conduct mammography activities was mandated in 1992 when President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA).  The purpose of the act is to ensure the highest quality mammograms (x-rays of the breast) by establishing federal certification and inspection programs for mammography facilities. 

The act assigned regulatory responsibility for mammography quality assurance activities to the FDA.  At the request of the FDA, the DEP entered into a contract to assist in the enforcement of the requirements in Connecticut by performing inspections. Since 1994 the Bureau of Air Management Radiation Division has had a contract with the FDA to conduct these inspections in the state. 

“Through the dedication and hard work of the staff of the DEP’s Radiation Division, we have been able to ensure that the women of Connecticut receive the highest quality mammograms and thus increase the chances of detecting breast cancer in its earliest stages,” said Governor M. Jodi Rell, who is a breast cancer survivor. “Studies have consistently shown, and I can personally attest, that the earlier breast cancer is caught the more likely treatment will be successful.

“I strongly urge women to receive these important exams and commend Maxine and Jennifer for their dedication to protecting the health of the women of Connecticut,” the governor concluded.

DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy said her branch of the state government has many different roles and responsibilities, “but I can think of none more important than this one.” 

“The proper training of medical staff along with the correct operation and maintenance of mammography equipment are vital to women’s health,” Cmmsr McCarthy added.

Approximately 145 facilities in Connecticut are conducting mammography in compliance with federal standards. Specially trained FDA certified inspectors go to the mammography facilities to examine the x-ray machines, x-ray film processors, doctors’, technologists’, and physicists’ credentials, as well as the summaries of exam results in lay terms given to the patient. 

If a mammography facility fails to meet these strict FDA requirements, accreditation is denied and the facility may not perform these examinations until they come into compliance.