One important quality that sets Midwest Radiology apart from other radiology providers is attention to detail. Recently, board-certified radiologist Dr. Cory Lewis received the quarterly “Good Catch” award from Allina Health Cancer Institute for exactly that: paying close attention to imaging results.

As part of the MWR breast radiology team, Dr. Lewis provides interpretations of screening and diagnostic mammograms. Recently, as he was reading a screening mammogram, he noticed an area of the patient’s breast that looked suspicious. Comparing the images to those from the previous year, he noted that the same area had been circled, indicating that the patient should have been called back for a follow-up. Since the area looked unchanged, Dr. Lewis was about to read the exam as normal. However, he decided to use Allina’s reliability scale before doing so. He did not find any follow-up images and asked a diagnostic imaging assistant to investigate. They discovered that the patient had received a letter reporting her exam as normal, so no follow-up had been done.

The patient was called back and fortunately, the suspicious area was a benign cyst. If Dr. Lewis had not questioned the previous year’s process, the patient likely would have been told to resume annual screenings without any knowledge of the problem area. The doctor’s careful attention to the situation provided a baseline for future mammograms and peace of mind for the patient. Good catch, Dr. Lewis!