SAN DIEGO, May 6 The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) today announced the creation of the Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE) organization. The new accrediting body, announced at SCAI's 33rd Annual Scientific Sessions in San Diego, is designed to promote and uphold high-quality patient care and improve patient safety in facilities where invasive cardiac and endovascular procedures are performed.
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ACE will advance excellence by providing an accrediting mechanism, based on scientific evidence in peer-reviewed medical literature and professionally determined quality metrics, to ensure processes and outcomes of cardiovascular procedures are consistent with pre-determined benchmarks. ACE will also make available tools and quality improvement guidance to organizations seeking, or having achieved provisional accreditation, in order to support ongoing quality improvement and optimal patient care.
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"Our primary goal for ACE is to increase the consistency of superior patient care in cardiovascular procedures throughout the U.S.," said Bonnie Weiner, M.D., MSEC, MBA, FSCAI, president of ACE and director of interventional cardiology research at Saint Vincent Hospital at Worcester Medical Center, Worcester, Mass. "When they are treated at a cardiovascular center that is ACE-accredited, patients should feel confident the facility has taken the appropriate, evidence-based steps to help ensure the best care for each individual patient."
ACE will first focus on providing accreditation to hospitals that perform carotid artery stenting procedures, with subsequent expansion to other cardiovascular procedures, including percutaneous coronary interventions, other endovascular procedures and structural heart disease interventions. Carotid artery stenting is used to treat carotid artery disease, or narrowing of the carotid artery in the neck caused by plaque buildup, a major risk factor for stroke. Currently, carotid artery stenting is reserved primarily for patients who are at high risk for carotid endarderectomy (surgery).
"Advancing quality standards is of utmost importance in our field and in all of medicine," said Steven R. Bailey, M.D., FSCAI, chief, division of cardiology, Janey Briscoe Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Research and professor of medicine and radiology at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio and SCAI president. "ACE will help us to work proactively to promote and maintain excellence for the patients we serve."
ACE will begin accrediting carotid artery stenting facilities this summer. Facilities must apply for accreditation, submit data and be visited by review teams to complete the process. Part of the accreditation process will include validation of self-reported data and appropriate use of existing guidelines and knowledge of changing best practices. Accreditation will last for a two-year period, after which a review of the facility will be required for continued ACE recognition. More information can be found at http://www.cvexcel.org.
About ACE
The Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure high-quality patient care and promote patient safety in facilities where invasive cardiac and endovascular procedures are performed. ACE will achieve its mission by setting standards for quality care, establishing requirements for accreditation, and providing peer review of cardiac and endovascular programs. ACE will also provide tools and resources to support self-evaluation and quality improvement. For more information about ACE, visit http://www.cvexcel.org.
About SCAI
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions is a 4,000-member professional organization representing invasive and interventional cardiologists in more than 60 nations. SCAI's mission is to promote excellence in invasive and interventional cardiovascular medicine through physician education and representation, and advancement of quality standards to enhance patient care. SCAI's annual meeting has become the leading venue for education, discussion, and debate about the latest developments in this dynamic medical specialty. SCAI's patient and physician education program, Seconds Count, offers comprehensive information about cardiovascular disease. For more information about SCAI and Seconds Count, visit www.scai.org or www.seconds-count.org.
SOURCE Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions
