CDH Employees Certified To Test Bone Density

NORTHAMPTON — Five employees of Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s Women’s Imaging Center recently earned certification from the International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Certification in bone densitometry is a demonstration of proficiency in this important screening for osteoporosis.

After passing their exams and the clinical portion of the certification requirements, Mary Ann Ciuffreda, Lynn Szaban, Maureen Maloney, Debra Giordano, and Michelle Girard became board-certified bone densitometry technologists. Certifi-cation requires individuals to take written exams and submit images that demonstrate competencies positioning parts of the body including spines, hips, and sometimes forearms.

Bone density screening requires a physician’s referral. Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s Women’s Imaging Center has offered bone densitometry since 2001.

Osteoporosis, a bone-fragility disorder that can lead to fracture, is a disease that affects 44 million Americans, causing 1.5 million fractures each year. Osteoporotic fractures can result in chronic pain, disability, loss of independence, and even death.