Des Moines, IA – May 29— Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines and Mercy West Lakes recently received accreditation for its cardiac catheterization lab and percutaneous coronary intervention from Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence™ (ACE), an organization dedicated to ensuring adherence to the highest quality standards for cardiovascular and endovascular care. Mercy is the first hospital in central Iowa to earn this accreditation.
Mercy has five cardiac cath labs receiving both accreditations where procedures are performed by expert cardiologists and heart care professionals practicing the latest interventional cardiology care that meets or exceeds nationally accepted best practices.
“These accreditations are just another example of Mercy and Iowa Heart Center’s commitment to providing leading-edge, top-quality cardiovascular care to our patients and community” said Mark Tannenbaum, M.D., an interventional cardiologist and chief physician officer of Iowa Heart Center and vice president of the Cardiovascular Services Division at Mercy. “This is a testament to the hard work and efforts of the physicians and staff of our interventional cardiology team and our cardiovascular center.”
ACE accreditation is a professional review of an organization’s structure, internal processes, patient safety practices, and clinical outcomes to determine if it meets the standards established by national experts in cardiac and endovascular care.
“We congratulate Mercy for seeking and obtaining an ACE cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention accreditation,” said ACE Chief Medical Officer Bonnie Weiner, M.D. “By submitting to a rigorous, independent evaluation, this facility has shown an uncompromising commitment to provide safe, high-quality care.”
The ACE evaluation process involves an in-depth independent review of personnel, quality-assurance processes, facility equipment and outcomes information. All data collected are measured against nationally-accepted standards for the highest-quality cardiovascular care. Facilities who undergo this voluntary and rigorous process demonstrate an exceptional commitment to providing the best possible care to patients.
“We are proud to have both of our catheterization labs receive ACE accreditation, and we value this type of external peer review because it helps us ensure our standard of care exceeds what is expected of us,” said Dr. Tannenbaum. Dr. Liberato Iannone is medical director of the cardiac catheterization lab located at Mercy Des Moines’ downtown central campus. Dr. Michael Fraizer serves as medical director of the Mercy Medical Center – West Lakes cardiac catheterization laboratory in West Des Moines.
About Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence
ACE, an independent organization sponsored by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF), offers independent evaluation and monitoring of facilities that provide cardiovascular care. By reviewing facility and operator performance and comparing clinical decision-making to nationally accepted best practices, ACE quality review and accreditation services play a critical role in continuous quality improvement programs. Learn more at http://www.cvexcel.org.
About Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines
Mercy operates two hospital campuses, along with more than 20 additional facilities that house more than 50 primary care, pediatric, internal medicine and specialty clinics. Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines is an 802-bed acute care, not-for-profit Catholic hospital founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1893. Mercy is the longest continually operating hospital in Des Moines and is also one of the largest employers in the state – with more than 6,900 employees and a medical staff of more than 1,000 physicians and allied health associates. Mercy Medical Center–Des Moines is a member of Mercy Health Network and is a part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), a national nonprofit health organization with headquarters in Englewood, Colo. The faith-based system operates in 18 states and includes 93 hospitals and multiple other facilities and services.