For the consumer:

• Each facility is inspected annually by Radiation Safety Section health physicists.
• The annual inspection checks for compliance with state rules and, under contract with the Food and Drug Administration, compliance with federal standards.
• Each new machine is inspected within 60 days.
• Each facility has a qualified medical physicist evaluate the mammography system annually.
• The physician who interprets the mammogram, the technologist who performs the mammography examination, the medical physicist who evaluates the system, and the state inspector must all meet regulatory requirements for training and continuing education.
• Mammography in Michigan has shown much improvement in the last 15 years.  Click here to see see how image quality has improved.
• Search the statewide mammography facility database for information on facility locations, last inspection date, current compliance status, and more.

For regulated mammography facilities:

• Inspections are generally scheduled in advance.
• An inspection takes about 6 hours for a single machine.  Much of that time is spent reviewing  personnel credentials and quality control records.
• A report of the federal Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) is printed after the inspection while still onsite.
• For information on how to prepare for the MQSA inspection, go to the FDA's MQSA web site. See the "Guidance" area.
• State-approved mammography training courses.
• Tips on Preparing for an MQSA and State of Michigan Mammography Inspection presented November 6, 1999 at the "Advanced Mammography Seminar" in Grand Rapids, Michigan by Don Parry, Health Physicist. (PowerPoint slide presentation, 395K, requires PowerPoint Viewer)