St. Joseph Hospital first in Indiana to receive ACC Cardiac Cath Lab Accreditation with PCI
4/25/2018
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (April 26, 2018) - The American College of Cardiology has recognized St. Joseph Hospital for its demonstrated expertise and commitment in treating patients who come to a cardiac cath lab for care, including diagnostic catheterizations and percutaneous coronary intervention procedures. St. Joe was was awarded Cardiac Cath Lab Accreditation with PCI based on rigorous onsite evaluation of the staff's ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients in this setting.
Percutaneous coronary intervention is also known as coronary angioplasty. It is a non-surgical procedure that opens narrowed or blocked coronary arteries with a balloon to relieve symptoms of heart disease or reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack.
St. Joe was the first hospital in Indiana to earn this accreditation. Additional information about ACC accredited facilities is available at: https://cvquality.acc.org/accreditation/map.
"The cardiac cath lab has long been a shining star of St Joe because of our team's ability to provide some of the fastest door-to-balloon times for acute myocardial infarction in the city," said Louis Lopez, M.D., cardiac cath lab medical director and chief of staff, St. Joseph Hospital. "This is just a single example of the quality and performance of the many hard-working individuals who have, in some cases, dedicated their entire careers to serving our patients. They deserve much credit."
Hospitals that have proven exceptional competency in treating patients who require cardiac catheterization have standardized their assessment process for patients before undergoing catheterization to ensure quality and patient safety. They ensure that care in the procedure room for sedation, infection control, radiation safety, universal protocol, and time out procedures is fully coordinated; and have mastered the appropriate transfer to a cath recovery unit to better monitor and track complications, enhance physician-to-patient communication, patient family communication, discharge instructions and follow-up information.
"St. Joseph Hospital has demonstrated its commitment to providing Fort Wayne with excellent heart care," said Phillip D. Levy, M.D., FACC, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board. "ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award St. Joe with Cardiac Cath Lab Accreditation with PCI."
Hospitals receiving Cardiac Cath Lab Accreditation with PCI from the ACC must take part in a multifaceted clinical process that involves: completing a gap analysis; examining variances of care; developing an action plan; a rigorous onsite review; and monitoring for sustained success. Improved methods and strategies of caring for patients include streamlining processes, implementing guidelines and standards, and adopting best practices in the care of cath lab patients. Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria and have organized a team of doctors, nurses, clinicians, and other administrative staff that earnestly support the efforts leading to improved patient outcomes.
The ACC and the American Heart Association are collaborating to offer U.S. hospitals like St. Joe access to a comprehensive suite of co-branded cardiac accreditation services designed to optimize patient outcomes and improve hospital financial performance. These services are focused on all aspects of cardiac care, including the cath lab.
About the American College of Cardiology
The American College of Cardiology is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College and its more than 52,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications.
For more information about ACC Accreditation Services, visit cvquality.acc.org/accreditation/about-accreditation, or call toll-free (877) 271-4176.
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