By achieving IAC Echocardiography accreditation for at least 10 consecutive years, Piedmont Fayette Hospital (since 2008), Piedmont Heart Institute – Athens (since 2008), Piedmont Rockdale Hospital (since 2008), Piedmont Heart Institute – Austell (since 2012), and Piedmont Cardiovascular Imaging Center in Newnan (since 2012), have all received a special milestone recognition for demonstrating their long-term commitment to continuously improving patient outcomes and safety.
“We are honored to be recognized by the IAC for our dedication to cardiovascular imaging and early detection of heart disease, and these 10-year results demonstrate our commitment to providing high-quality care close to home,” said Sandy Tart, director of Cardiovascular Services at Piedmont Fayette.
Every three-year cycle, accredited facilities undergo an intensive application and review process to re-earn accreditation, with an assessment conducted by a panel of medical experts. The IAC accreditation process enables both the critical operational and technical components of the applicant facility to be assessed, including representative case studies and their corresponding final reports.
Echocardiography is used to assess different areas of the heart and can detect heart disease or signs of serious cardiovascular conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. On average, one American dies every 34 seconds of cardiovascular disease – disorders of the heart and blood vessels. IAC accreditation assesses the many factors that contribute to an accurate diagnosis based on echocardiography. The training and experience of the sonographer performing the procedure, the type of equipment used and the quality assessment metrics each facility is required to measure, all contribute to a positive patient outcome.
Patients, referring physicians and insurers look for the IAC seal of accreditation as the ‘gold standard’ in the field of echocardiography. Facilities that achieve IAC accreditation demonstrate a clear indicator that they provide a high-quality level of patient care.
“We are proud to recognize long-time accredited echocardiography facilities through the new milestone recognition program. Since being incorporated in 1997 as the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL), we (now IAC Echocardiography) have helped thousands of facilities standardize their processes to provide better patient care and improved outcomes. As we celebrate 25 years of accrediting echocardiography facilities, the recognized facilities are true champions of accreditation. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to delivering safe, effective and compassionate care using accreditation as a quality metric. These facilities’ ongoing commitment to quality patient care is an example for other health care providers to follow. It is a reminder of the importance of putting patients first and striving to continuously improve the quality of care provided,” said Mary Lally, MS, CAE, CEO of the IAC.
These Piedmont facilities are one of 1,566 currently accredited facilities to qualify for the 10-Year Green Accreditation milestone, out of 2,579 facilities currently accredited by IAC in adult echocardiology.
