Momentum continues: Sixth and Seventh PA PCI Programs Achieve ACE Accreditation, Multiple PA Hospitals Partnering with ACE to Perform Elective PCI Without Onsite Surgery
Washington, DC (PRWEB) December 16, 2014 -- Two additional Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hospitals, Holy Redeemer Hospital in Meadowbrook, PA, and Meadville Medical Center (MMC) in Meadville, PA join five other PA hospitals in receiving ACE accreditation. The next step is for Commonwealth of Pennsylvania exceptions committee to provide full approval for each facility. By joining their peers, Holy Redeemer and MMC add to the growing list of PA facilities that have chosen to partner with ACE.
Holy Redeemer Hospital and MMC are the sixth and seventh PA facilities, respectively, to complete the rigorous ACE accreditation process in an effort to expand PCI services under new state regulations. In January 2014, the PA Department of Health (PADOH) mandated that PCI programs wishing to perform elective PCI without onsite open heart surgery for their cardiac catheterization lab must seek exemption and be accredited by a state-approved accrediting body with quality standards at least as high as those of ACE.
ACE is the first organization to be recognized by the Commonwealth and has been leading the way by providing expert guidance to state regulatory departments on national standard criteria for the cardiac catheterization lab. The first five PA facilities to achieve ACE accreditation earlier this year under the Commonwealth’s exception rules include Armstrong County Memorial Hospital (ACMH) in Kittanning, PA; Monongahela Valley Hospital in Monongahela, PA; Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College, PA; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) East in Pittsburgh, PA; and UPMC McKeesport in McKeesport, PA.
“We chose ACE for the accreditation process because it is the premier provider of cath/PCI accreditation. Under the sponsorship of SCAI and ACCF, ACE sets the highest standards of quality in the provision of invasive cardiovascular care,” said Al Zoda, MD, FACC, cardiologist with Mount Nittany Physician Group. Mount Nittany Medical Center has also received ACE accreditation for diagnostic cardiac catheterization services.
The momentum to expand patient access to elective PCI services continues across the Commonwealth and across the country. Two additional PA facilities are completing the final stages of ACE accreditation. To date, 9 of 17 PA facilities—more than half of those that without OHS backup and with the opportunity to expand elective PCI services if they become accredited—have chosen to partner with ACE. Moreover, other state agencies, reviewing the framework set by the PADOH, have been in contact with ACE to provide quality oversight and facilitate patient access to PCI services in their states through ACE accreditation.
Is your PCI program next? Facilities seeking ACE accreditation can obtain more information and complete the application process at http://www.cvexcel.org.
About Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE)
ACE is the global leader in accreditation and external quality review services for all catheter-based cardiovascular procedures. ACE, an independent organization sponsored by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF), offers independent evaluation and monitoring of facilities that provide cardiovascular care. By reviewing facility and operator performance and comparing clinical decision-making to nationally accepted best practices, ACE quality review and accreditation services play a critical role in continuous quality improvement programs. Join us. Let us exceed your expectations and provide a free consultation. Contact ACE at info(at)cvexcel(dot)org or call our office at 202.657.6859 or visit our website at http://www.cvexcel.org.
Mary Heisler, Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence, http://www.cvexcel.org, +1 (202) 657-6859, [email protected]
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