Mammography

About the Mammography/Healing Arts Program, and mammography facility advisories, policies, and inspections

Mammography/Healing Arts Program

Through a combination of machine registration and inspection, the Mammography/Healing Arts Program regulates all non-federal facilities which use medical x-ray machines in the Commonwealth. The program ensures that unnecessary radiation exposures to both patients and medical workers are minimized.

Mammography is a specialized form of medical radiography, and facilities which provide this service in Massachusetts are licensed and inspected annually in accordance with state regulations found at 105 CMR 127.000. Under contract with the United States Food and Drug Administration, the Mammography Program also conducts the federal Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) inspections.

Advisories and policies

License Requirements for Portable Mammography Facilities

If a mammography unit is utilized at the same location more than five (5) times a year, then that location needs to be specifically licensed with the Radiation Control Program as a mammography facility. Therefore, companies that make cyclical visits to the same medical office more than five (5) times a year using a portable mammography unit must apply for a license for each location.

Acquisition of New and Used Units

For existing licensed mammography facilities acquiring new or used mammography units, the following items are required of the licensee:

  1. Notify the Radiation Control Program that a new unit will be acquired and the date the new unit will first be used to perform mammography. The Agency will reply by letter along with a Machine Identification Form for completion and submittal.
  2. Submit a shielding design plan for the new unit's location for approval.
  3. Insure that the new unit be initially optimized by a qualified medical physicist before exposing patients.
  4. Insure that the new unit is included in the Quality Assurance program of the facility--all initial Quality Assurance tests must be performed and documented.
  5. Insure that the Responsible Physician has determined that the Mammography Radiological Technologist(s) has been trained on the proper operation of the unit.
  6. Submit the payment of the $300 fee for each additional unit.

In addition, the Radiation Control Program must conduct an inspection of any used unit prior to the unit's use by the facility.

Mammography facilities

View our list of Active Mammography Facilities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The list will be updated monthly, see list for date of generation. You can also download the facility list in Microsoft Excel format.

Additional Resources

Contact   for Mammography

Phone

Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Rings to Massachusetts State Police

Address

250 Washington St., 7th Floor, Boston, MA 02108

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