Scott & White Hospital – Temple's Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory has become only the fourth cardiac catheterization laboratory in the United States to be accredited for percutaneous coronary intervention by Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE), an organization dedicated to ensuring adherence to the highest quality standards for cardiovascular and endovascular care. ACE accreditation is a professional review of an organization's structure, internal processes, patient safety practices, and clinical outcomes to determine if it meets the standards established by experts in cardiac and endovascular care. Scott & White voluntarily requested the accreditation review, reflecting the system's priority to provide the highest quality health care to its patients.
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), known as coronary angioplasty or simply angioplasty, is a therapeutic procedure used to treat the narrowed coronary arteries of the heart found in coronary heart disease. These narrowed segments result from the build up of cholesterol-laden plaques that form due to atherosclerosis. PCI is performed by an interventional cardiologist.
"At Scott & White, our interventional cardiology program is managed by an integrated, collaborative team, resulting in the safest and highest level of cardiac care for our patients," said D. Scott Gantt, D.O., chief, section of interventional cardiology at Scott & White Hospital – Temple and professor of internal medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. "Receiving the ACE accreditation means we are delivering care at a level we expect of ourselves, as well as what others have come to expect of us."
ACE is committed to helping facilities that deliver interventional cardiovascular care to provide gold standard health care by measuring the facility's practices, personnel, processes and outcomes against nationally-accepted best-practice standards. Implemented to supplement existing quality-improvement programs, the ACE outcomes-based accreditation promotes uniform benchmarks, and improves appropriate utilization via an independent, third-party evaluation of facilities and practices.
"We congratulate Scott & White Hospital-Temple for seeking and obtaining an ACE percutaneous coronary intervention accreditation," said ACE Chief Medical Officer Bonnie Weiner, M.D. "By submitting to a rigorous, independent evaluation, they've shown an uncompromising commitment to provide safe, high-quality care."
The ACE evaluation process involves an in-depth independent review of personnel, quality-assurance processes, facility equipment, and outcomes information. All data collected is measured against nationally-accepted standards for the highest-quality cardiovascular care. Facilities who undergo this voluntary and rigorous process demonstrate an exceptional commitment to providing the best possible care to patients.
About Scott & White Healthcare ( sw.org )
Scott & White Healthcare is a non-profit collaborative health care system established in 1897 in Temple, Texas. Among the leading health care systems encompassing one of the nation's largest multi-specialty group practices, Scott & White provides personalized, comprehensive and the highest quality health care enhanced by medical education and research. Scott & White Healthcare includes 12 hospital sites, two additional announced facilities, more than 60 clinic locations throughout Central Texas and staff exceeding 13,000 (including more than 900 physicians and scientists and nearly 400 specialized health care providers). Get the latest news from Scott & White Healthcare by visiting our online newsroom, News blog or on Twitter (@swhealthcare).