INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan St. Francis
Health announced
today that it has been fully accredited for carotid artery stenting by the Accreditation
for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE), becoming the only hospital
in Indiana and the second in the world to earn this distinction.
The
accreditation means that Franciscan St. Francis health is dedicated to upholding
the highest standards of quality care, maintaining best practices as
recommended by nationally accepted practice guidelines and meeting nationally
accepted gold standards.
ACE
reviewed five areas of the Franciscan St. Francis program including its
facility, personnel, quality assurance, patient indications and patient
outcomes. In total, the program was assessed on 65 standards.
“Advancing quality standards is of utmost importance in
our field to maintain excellence of care in cardiovascular procedures for the
patients we serve throughout Indiana,” said William Berg, MD, medical
director and interventional cardiologist at Franciscan St. Francis Heart
Center. “By seeking ACE Carotid Artery Stenting accreditation, Franciscan St.
Francis Health has shown that it has an uncompromising commitment to provide
safe, high-quality care.”
ACE is a nationally renowned
independent organization sponsored by the Society for Cardiovascular
Angiography and Interventions and the American College of Cardiology, two leading
professional cardiovascular organizations. Implemented to supplement existing
quality improvement programs, the ACE Carotid Artery Stenting accreditation
promotes uniform benchmarks and improves appropriate utilization via an
independent, third-party evaluation of facilities and practices.
Carotid
artery stenting treats carotid artery stenosis, a condition that occurs when
the main arteries in the neck supplying blood to the brain become narrowed. Over time, fatty deposits and plaque can severely narrow
or completely block flow to the brain, resulting in a stroke – the third cause
of death and disability in the United States.
Risk factors for carotid artery disease include:
•
Current or former smoker
•
Abnormal cholesterol, including high total cholesterol or low
HDL (<40mg dl="" o:p="">
•
Diabetes
•
Family history of stroke, aneurysm or circulation disorders
•
High blood pressure or are being treated for high blood pressure
Vascular patients at Franciscan St.
Francis are treated by a multidisciplinary team of physicians and medical staff
including expert vascular surgeons, interventional and non-invasive
cardiologists and interventional radiologists.
“Our interventional cardiologists have
extensive experience in performing minimally invasive interventions, such as
stenting, with utmost safety and state of the art technology to treat carotid
artery disease and prevent strokes,” Charles Kiell, MD, medical director of
Vascular Services at Franciscan St. Francis Health. “These procedures allow
patients to experience a faster recovery and less time in the hospital.”
Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center has one of the region’s most robust
and comprehensive heart and vascular programs to treat the most complex
cardiovascular conditions and has amassed numerous awards and accreditations
for its services. More information on the Franciscan St. Francis Heart Center awards
and its Vascular Screening Program is available at MyHeartCare.net.
