• Former radiology file rooms
• Hospital basements and storage areas
• Medical office buildings
• Warehouses
• Off-site records storage
• Closed or relocated departments
• Storage areas acquired through hospital or health-system consolidation

In some cases, facilities continue paying for storage space simply because no one has revisited what remains there.

Still have archived mammography film? Mammography archives were often retained separately under extended facility retention policies and may remain even after other diagnostic film has been cleared. Learn more about our Mammography Film Purging & Secure Destruction service.

Before Destroying Archived X-Ray Film

Healthcare facilities should determine that applicable medical-record retention requirements have been satisfied before disposing of diagnostic film.

Requirements can vary based on the type of facility, patient age, state requirements and other circumstances. Review our X-Ray Record Retention Requirements by State to help identify the requirements that may apply to your facility.

Once eligible film has been identified, a professional x-ray film purging project can remove large quantities of archived film without requiring hospital staff to manage the physical handling, transportation and destruction themselves.

Secure Handling Matters

Archived x-ray film may contain patient-identifying information and should be handled as confidential healthcare material.

A professional purging provider should have procedures for maintaining security throughout the project — from removal and transportation through final destruction and recycling.

Facilities should also receive appropriate documentation confirming destruction of the material. Learn more about our HIPAA-Compliant X-Ray Film Destruction process.

X-Ray Film Has Recoverable Silver Value

Traditional diagnostic x-ray film contains silver.

Rather than simply sending eligible film to a landfill or treating it as ordinary waste, x-ray film can be processed through specialized recycling methods that recover the silver while destroying the film itself.

Depending on the volume and type of film involved, its recoverable silver value may help offset the cost of a purging project — and in qualifying situations, may create an opportunity for a silver rebate to the facility.

What About Large File Rooms?

Large quantities of archived film do not necessarily mean a complicated project for the healthcare facility.

X-Ray Purging specializes in removing legacy diagnostic film directly from healthcare facilities and storage locations. Our full-service projects can include the labor required to remove film directly from shelving, along with secure handling, transportation, destruction and recycling—so your staff does not have to manage the physical purge.

For qualifying projects, our complete x-ray film purging service can be provided at no cost to the facility, with some projects also qualifying for a silver rebate.

Facilities do not need to know the exact quantity of archived film before contacting X-Ray Purging. An initial assessment can help determine the approximate volume, location and type of film remaining and whether the project is a good fit for our service. We work with healthcare facilities nationwide to evaluate potential x-ray film purging projects.

Do You Still Have X-Ray Film in Storage?

Many healthcare facilities have already eliminated their archived diagnostic film inventories. But there are still hospitals, imaging facilities and healthcare organizations with legacy film occupying valuable space onsite or sitting in costly off-site storage.

If your facility is one of them, X-Ray Purging can evaluate the remaining inventory and determine whether it qualifies for our no-cost purging service.