Role of Hospitals: St. James Parish Hospital

St. James Parish Hospital in Lutcher, Louisiana, is a nonprofit, critical access hospital offering emergency and routine medical care to the rural communities it serves.

St. James Parish Hospital’s 3D mammography team was honored with a Skin Marking in Mammography Excellence Award from Beekley Medical for clear communication and precise interpretation for the best patient care. Skin marking, which identifies points of interest and aids in communication between technologists and radiologists, can help reduce avoidable callbacks and minimize inconvenience, anxiety and additional radiation exposure. The practice is recommended by the American College of Radiology.

“[St. James Parish Hospital’s] consistent use improves communication across the care team and can help make interpreting mammograms more accurate and efficient for the radiologist,” Beekley Medical stated. The mammography techs at St. James Parish Hospital use a multishape skin marking system — specialized stickers — to help point out areas of concern or pain, masses, moles and surgical scars. The shape of the marker varies depending upon what is being highlighted, and the markers can be seen on mammography images when the radiologist is reviewing them.

“We constantly get feedback about how much patients love our mammography team,” said Mike Luminais, director of radiology services. “Our technicians are friendly, personable and always do their best to make patients feel at ease.”