Excela Health Adds New Certification to Growing List of National Heart Care Accolades
- Category: Blog, Media Release, Cardiovascular Care
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Dual Recognition from The Joint Commission and American Heart Association for Quality Heart Attack Care
GREENSBURG, PA, September 23, 2022 … The Heart Center at Excela Health has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Primary Heart Attack Center Certification. Excela Westmoreland Hospital is one of 40 hospitals in the United States and four in Pennsylvania to earn Primary Heart Attack Center (PHAC) certification.
PHAC certification is one of The Joint Commission’s four Advanced Cardiac certifications offered in collaboration with the American Heart Association. The certification standardizes and improves coordinated systems of care across settings regarding identification, assessment, monitoring, management, data sharing and performance improvement for multidisciplinary ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) heart attack care.
Excela’s Heart Center underwent a rigorous unannounced onsite review in April 2022. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards including delivering and facilitating clinical care, supporting self-management, performance measurement, and program management. PHACs have on-site primary percutaneous coronary intervention (catheterization to open blocked arteries) coverage for heart attack patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
“Advanced Primary Heart Attack Center Certification recognizes healthcare organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” said Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend the team at Excela Health for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for cardiac patients.”
“Certification provides a method for us to assure the highest quality care based on guidelines set forth by the American Heart Association,” says Denise Addis, Excela Health Vice President of Cardiovascular Services. “This shows that we are not only meeting but often surpassing these standards. It represents the dedication of our administration, physicians and clinical team to provide care that will produce the best outcomes.”
“We congratulate Excela Health for this outstanding achievement,” added Nancy Brown, chief executive officer, the American Heart Association. “This certification reflects Excela’s commitment to providing the highest quality of care for cardiac patients.”
Hospitals with PHAC certification can help reassure patients that their care providers are highly prepared experts on best practices and effective coordinators of care from the ambulance ride and admission to discharge from the hospital, helping to save patients’ lives.
For more information, visit The Joint Commission website.
