Quality Improvement For Institutions | Advancing Quality CV Care Around the Globe
Increasingly, hospitals and health systems around the world are leveraging ACC Accreditation Services to help streamline cardiovascular team efficiency and optimize care delivery based on the latest evidence-based clinical guidance.
"Accreditation has served as a catalyst for several positive changes within our team," says Rodrigo B. Esper, MD, PhD, FACC, an interventional cardiologist and leader of the ACC Accreditation team at Prevent Senior Private Operadora de Saúde LTDA Healthcare System in São Paulo, Brazil. "We have strengthened our shared decision-making processes based on best practices, fostered a true heart team environment to deliver optimal patient care and implemented a culture of continuous improvement."
Prevent Senior was recognized with the first-ever International Centers of Excellence award for transcatheter valve procedures in September 2023. In addition to participating in the STS/ACC TVT Registry, the hospital also earned ACC's Transcatheter Valve Certification.
Through the Transcatheter Valve Certification process, Prevent Senior focused on adopting best practices for use of new transcatheter valve devices and therapies, setting standards for multidisciplinary teams and techniques for formalized training, and making the most of resources to ensure a patient-centered approach. As a result, Esper and colleagues saw reductions in length of hospital stay, the need for intensive care unit admission and the volume of contrast used during procedures thus minimizing the risk of kidney injury. Decreased rates of vascular complications and stroke were also observed.
CHRISTUS MUGUERZA Alta Especialidad, which serves the community of Monterrey in Mexico, also saw improvements in patient care and outcomes. The hospital – the first in Mexico to receive an International Centers of Excellence award for chest pain care – has been able to leverage its participation in the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry and Chest Pain Center Accreditation to unlock various benefits for both the hospital and the local community.
"This award is a milestone in national cardiology," said José R. Azpiri-Lopez, MD, FACC, medical coordinator at CHRISTUS MUGUERZA. "[This award] is the product of many hours of work by a multidisciplinary group and more than 200 documents that culminated in management guides agreed upon with various specialists."
According to Azpiri-Lopez, the one-on-one navigation and consultation throughout the accreditation process was helpful in coordinating educational opportunities and resources, elevating cardiac patient care processes, defining patient pathways for all possible and known acute coronary syndrome populations, and more.
"It is a source of pride for CHRISTUS MUGUERZA that its flagship hospital is recognized as an International Center of Excellence specialized in the management of chest pain with primary angioplasty," says Azpiri-Lopez.
In both cases, hospital leaders say the International Centers of Excellence recognition and their respective involvement in ACC Accreditation Services are the start of their continued efforts to improve heart health in their communities.
"Obtaining accreditation is not the endpoint but rather the beginning of a continuous journey," says Esper. "At Prevent Senior Healthcare System, we remain dedicated to consistently improving the care delivered to our patients."
According to Bernardo Fernández-Rodarte, MD, deputy medical director at CHRISTUS MUGUERZA, the recognition has motivated their team to extend their service beyond the walls of the hospital, fostering a culture of preventive cardiovascular health in the community and promoting a workplace environment that values continuous training and improvement.
"The certification, as well as the recognition of Hospital CHRISTUS MUGUERZA Alta Especialidad as a Center of Excellence, is a product of our commitment to providing our communities with medical care for chest pain with world-class quality and safety standards," Fernández-Rodarte says. "It is an honor to be recipients of this recognition."
Quantify Your ROI Using ACC's PCI SDD Calculator
ACC Accreditation Services supports its partners in identifying ways to cut costs while maintaining high-quality care delivery. Many facilities have low PCI same-day discharge (SDD) rates due to lack of a formal process, which can result in additional costs of at least $5,000 per case. As part of ACC's Cardiac Cath Lab Accreditation, facilities have access to a PCI SDD calculator to help with quantifying ROI.
Data-Driven Insights For Comprehensive AMI Care
Participating in both ACC's Chest Pain Center Accreditation and the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry integrates accreditation standards with registry data, enhancing the resources available to lead to more informed decision-making and improved patient outcomes. Click here to learn more about these powerful tools for cardiovascular quality improvement.
Keywords: Cardiology Magazine, ACC Publications, Quality Improvement, Delivery of Health Care, Patient Care Team, Hospitals, Accreditation, Intensive Care Units
