The American College of Cardiology has recognized Lutheran Hospital for its demonstrated commitment to comprehensive, high-quality culture and cardiovascular care. Lutheran has been awarded the HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence based on meeting accreditation criteria, and through its ongoing performance registry reporting. Lutheran is now one of only seven hospitals in the country to have HeartCARE Center status, which is the ACC’s highest recognition.
Hospitals and health systems that have earned an ACC HeartCARE Center designation have met a set of criteria including at least two earned CV accreditations offered by ACC, a third earned CV accreditation offered by the ACC or participation in a National Cardiovascular Data Registry, and involvement in additional efforts designed to help hospitals and institutions close gaps in guideline-based care.
“Lutheran Hospital has demonstrated its commitment to providing northern Indiana with excellent heart care,” said Phillip D. Levy, MD, FACC, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board. “ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award Lutheran with the HeartCARE Center designation.”
With this new designation, hospitals and health systems can now showcase their elite status and publicly highlight their outstanding commitment to quality for their patients, providers and other stakeholders.
“Our vision has always been to provide the most comprehensive cardiovascular care available for patients in northern Indiana,” said Joyce Walz, RN, BSN, executive director of cardiac, ICU and neuroscience services, Lutheran Hospital. “This designation, and our desire to enhance our collaborative efforts with the American College of Cardiology even further, is a clear indication that Lutheran takes its role as a leader in heart health very seriously.”
Only one other Hospital in Indiana, IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, currently possesses this designation. Both began one-year terms Sept. 21.
According to the ACC, hospitals receiving its HeartCARE Center designation have demonstrated their commitment to consistent, high-quality cardiovascular care through comprehensive process improvement, disease and procedure-specific accreditation, professional excellence, and community engagement. Based on its assessment, the ACC believes Lutheran has proven to be a forward-thinking institution with goals to advance the cause of sustainable quality improvement.
The ACC offers U.S. and international hospitals like Lutheran access to a comprehensive suite of cardiac accreditation services designed to optimize patient outcomes and improve hospital financial performance. These services are focused on all aspects of cardiac care.
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.
Visit cvquality.acc.org/accreditation/about-accreditation/faqs to learn more about accreditation through the American College of Cardiology, or call toll-free 1-877-271-4176.
