LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 19, 2018) — Baptist Health Lexington is the second hospital in the country and the first hospital in Kentucky to receive the American Heart Association (AHA) Cardiovascular Center of Excellence accreditation.
AHA developed this new comprehensive level of designation in collaboration with the American College of Cardiology (ACC) to recognize hospitals committed to following proven treatment guidelines incorporated into a comprehensive system of care to fully address the needs of patients with complex cardiac conditions.
Hospitals recognized as Cardiovascular Centers of Excellence must meet or exceed standards established using multidisciplinary treatment models for all types of cardiovascular patients. These standards include 24/7 cardiovascular services, comprehensive training for all staff caring for this patient population, strong internal and external systems of care approach to delivery services and extensive community outreach to help their population recognize and participate in cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular Centers of Excellence accredited facilities are perceived as champions in their populations’ health.
Baptist Health Lexington underwent surveys from the American Heart Association’s accreditation review team. During the surveys, cardiovascular quality improvement specialists reviewed the hospital’s policies, procedures and operations to ensure appropriate diagnosis, treatment and education protocols were in place and executed for the cardiovascular patients. The facility also had to demonstrate efforts in enhancing their community’s awareness on the importance of cardiovascular health.
Key areas in which Baptist Health Lexington demonstrated a commitment to adherence to accreditation required treatment standards included care of patients with chest pain, atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
“Baptist Health Lexington is thoroughly committed to providing our patients the highest quality cardiovascular care centered in current scientific research,” said William G. Sisson, president. “The American Heart Association’s Cardiovascular Center of Excellence Accreditation has highlighted our accomplishments and is recognition of our commitment to continually work to improve the overall multidisciplinary treatment and care for our patients.”
Through this accreditation program, the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology hope to significantly reduce cardiac death and disability by teaching the public to recognize and react to early symptoms of heart diseases, reduce the time it takes to receive lifesaving treatments and increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment administered.
The overall goal for the Cardiovascular Center of Excellence accreditation is to improve the outcomes of patients stricken by cardiovascular disease. This is accomplished by optimizing the patient and caregiver’s experiences through a collaborative approach to incorporate best practices founded on established evidence-based cardiovascular treatment guidelines fostered with a Systems of Care approach.
For more information on the American Heart Association & American College of Cardiology’s cardiac accreditation programs, visit www.heart.org/cardiacaccreditation or www.cardiacaccreditation.org.
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