The UCLA Fetal Cardiology Program at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA proudly announced that it has received accreditation from the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine for fetal echocardiography which is the use of ultrasound to screen for fetal heart problems in pregnant patients.
The UCLA program achieved this newly-established recognition by meeting rigorous guidelines set by the diagnostic ultrasound profession. All facets of the practice were assessed, including the training and qualifications of physicians and sonographers; policies and procedures to protect patients and staff; quality assurance methods; the thoroughness, technical quality and interpretation of the sonograms performed; ultrasound equipment maintenance; and documentation, storage and record-keeping practices.
The UCLA Fetal Cardiology program has been in existence for more than 25 years and offers world-class care by utilizing state-of-the-art technology in a compassionate and caring environment. Expert fetal cardiac evaluation is performed at UCLA using state-of-the-art ultrasound machinery with the highest resolution imaging available, including 2-dimension and Doppler analysis, as well as 3-and-4 dimension technology. The program provides multidisciplinary care to the patient and family from a variety of specialized services including pediatric cardiology, pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, neonatal intensive care, medical genetics and genetic counseling and maternal fetal medicine. Unborn babies diagnosed with major forms of heart disease during the mother's pregnancy can be delivered at UCLA and then immediately receive comprehensive medical and surgical treatment all under one roof, alleviating the need to transport the newborn to another facility and be separated from the mother.
The UCLA Fetal Cardiology Program is directed by Dr. Gary Satou, associate professor of pediatric cardiology and director of the pediatric echocardiography laboratory, and Dr. Mark Sklansky, professor and chief of pediatric cardiology.
The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine is a multidisciplinary association of more than 8,900 physicians, sonographers and scientists dedicated to advancing the safe and effective use of ultrasound in medicine through professional and public education, research, development of guidelines and accreditation. For more information, visit www.aium.org.
