Adds heart failure to list of accreditations

Andalusia Health this month was awarded Heart Failure Accreditation by the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

Accreditation is based on a rigorous onsite review of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients with heart failure through pre-hospital care, early stabilization, acute care, transitional care, clinical quality measures and more.

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen.

“Andalusia Health has demonstrated its commitment to providing Covington County with excellent heart care,” said Phillip D. Levy, MD, FACC, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board. “ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award Andalusia Health with Heart Failure Accreditation.”

Studies show that hospitals that employ an evidence-based, protocol-driven and systematic approach to managing heart failure have been able to reduce time to treatment, and are able to identify and predict high- risk patients while also reducing length-of-stay and hospital readmissions.

“Achieving Heart Failure Accreditation is one more way that Andalusia Health is fulfilling its mission of Making Communities Healthier,” Andalusia Health CEO John Yanes said. “It furthers our hospital’s commitment to work with our physicians to improve access to high quality care for residents’ right here at home. In May 2016, Andalusia Health achieved Chest Pain Accreditations. Heart Failure Accreditation builds on our hospital’s cardiac services as we continuously work to address the medical needs of our community.”

Hospitals receiving Heart Failure Accreditation from the ACC must take part in a multi-faceted clinical process that involves: completing a gap analysis; examining variances of care, developing an action plan; a rigorous onsite review; and monitoring for sustained success. Improved methods and strategies of caring for patients include streamlining processes, implementing of guidelines and standards, and adopting best practices in the precise care of heart failure patients. Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria and have organized a team of doctors, nurses, clinicians, and other administrative staff that earnestly support the efforts leading to better patient education, improved patient outcomes, and more effective and efficient disease control.