Regional Hospital of Scranton first to receive American Heart Association’s Cardiovascular Center of Excellence accreditation

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Regional Hospital of Scranton in Scranton, Pa., is the first hospital in the country to receive the Cardiovascular Center of Excellence accreditation, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), the world’s leading voluntary health organization devoted to fighting cardiovascular disease and stroke.

The Cardiovascular Center of Excellence is a new accreditation awarded from the American Heart Association in collaboration with the American College of Cardiology (ACC). It recognizes hospitals committed to following proven treatment guidelines incorporated into a comprehensive system of care to fully address the care needs of patients with complex cardiac conditions.

This accreditation ensures patients’ confidence and trust that the hospital’s treatment practices and procedures meet the highest standards of cardiovascular care based on proven treatment guidelines,” said Robert L. McNamara, M.D., Chair of the Association’s Hospital Accreditation Cardiovascular Subcommittee and Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. “It recognizes the staff commitment to doing everything possible to promote a full recovery, optimal outcomes and highest quality of life.

Formally accredited centers must commit to building a systems of care approach in offering a broad scope of cardiovascular care services that range from prevention strategies to full continuity of care through rehabilitation and recovery after a cardiac event. Community education and support is a key focus for accredited hospitals.

Referred to as a “capstone,” the AHA’s Cardiovascular Center of Excellence accreditation is available only to hospitals that have achieved at least three of the ACC’s “cornerstone” accreditations in chest pain, atrial fibrillation, heart failure or cardiac catheterization and meet the criteria established by the AHA that focuses on areas across disease-states throughout the cardiovascular service line. .

This accreditation underscores Regional Hospital of Scranton’s unfailing commitment to ensuring each patient that comes through its doors has the highest quality care,

said Philip Levy, M.D., FACC, chair of ACC’s Accreditation Management Board. The ACC is proud to work with the AHA and Regional Hospital of Scranton to showcase how data can be used to inform best practices and guide patient care.

Regional Hospital of Scranton met the accreditation criteria through a rigorous evaluation of the facility’s multidisciplinary teams and processes in compliance with systems of care coordination and national guidelines. Staff displayed commitment to work with all levels of their community to emphasize cardiovascular disease prevention, early recognition and treatment and rehabilitation for an improved quality of life.

Cardiovascular disease accounts for one out of every three deaths in the United States. An estimated 2,200 Americans die of cardiovascular disease daily, an average of one death every 40 seconds.

Having accredited hospitals and care facilities equipped to collaborate with their communities to provide strong prevention, treatment and recovery programs for the complicated needs of patients with life-threatening heart conditions is key to improving quality-of-life and survival for all patients of all backgrounds.

More hospitals are applying to receive the Cardiovascular Center of Excellence accreditation, which demonstrates to current and future patients that their cardiac care services have met rigorous standards. To learn more about Cardiovascular Center of Excellence accreditation, visit heart.org/cardiacaccreditation.

About the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association are devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. The American Stroke Association is a division of the American Heart Association. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country.

About the American College of Cardiology
The American College of Cardiology is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College and its more than 52,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more, visit acc.org.

For Media Inquiries: (214) 706-1173
Cathy Lewis: cathy.lewis@heart.org, (214) 706-1324

For Public Inquiries: (800) AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and strokeassociation.org