West Valley Medical Center recently achieved national accreditation by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care for timely and effective treatment of atrial fibrillation, chest pain and heart failure. It is the only hospital in the Treasure Valley to meet the rigorous criteria for all three accreditations in 2016.
"We are committed to helping patients with heart conditions to live longer, healthier lives," said Patrick Bridges, director of cardiology services. "Achieving these accreditations confirms our availability and commitment to intervene quickly using evidenced based clinical practices for patients experiencing symptoms of atrial fibrillation, chest pain and heart failure."
Patient care improvement goals for the accreditations vary; each one aims to save more people's lives and significantly reduce disabilities related to serious heart conditions. A general overview for the accreditations follows:
Atrial Fibrillation Accreditation
Improve the care delivered to the rapidly increasing population of patients with the most common cardiac arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation. Offer the right tools at the right time and provide state-of-the-art care with the goal of reducing the accompanying risk of stroke and potential loss of life.
Chest Pain Center Accreditation
Evaluate and improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients who present with heart attack symptoms. Preserve the integrity of the heart muscle by reducing the critical window of time before blood flow is restored (door-to-balloon time).
Heart Failure Accreditation
Organize the delivery of care to patients with heart failure in a systematic manner that supports adherence to evidence-based guidelines established by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association and other evidence-based quality initiatives.
Multidisciplinary teams at West Valley Medical Center satisfied criteria for all three accreditations in 2016, including chest pain accreditation for the third consecutive year. Here are some highlights of what the specialty teams are doing to further improve care for patients presenting with symptoms of A-fib, chest pain or heart failure:
- Implementing proven practices to orchestrate, monitor and optimize clinical processes
- Facilitating a speedier diagnosis, optimal patient outcomes and immediate stabilization and treatment to mitigate life-threatening conditions
- Employing a multidisciplinary, patient-centric approach from admission through discharge
- Utilizing standardized sets for physician orders and ensuring appropriate lengths-of-stay
- Collaborating with physicians and emergency medical service providers to integrate out-of-hospital interventions
- Preventing unnecessary readmissions with established care coordination at discharge, early follow-up care and patient/family education
- Measuring performance, adherence to best practices and patient outcomes; using data to improve the quality of care
The SCPC established accreditation designations to improve patient outcomes and optimize resource utilization at hospitals across the United States. Its operational models help hospitals to plan and organize the delivery of care in a systematic manner that supports adherence to evidence-based guidelines and quality initiatives. The criteria for each of its accreditations contains essential components aimed at organizing and streamlining process improvement efforts. Details for each accreditation are located on the organization's website: http://www.scpcp.org/