Porter Regional Hospital – First Hospital in Indiana To Receive Atrial Fibrillation Certification

Certified-Atrial-FibrillationPorter Regional Hospital has become the first health care facility in Indiana to receive full Atrial Fibrillation Certification status from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC). This most recent honor further elevates the status of the Porter Regional Hospital’s Center for Cardiovascular Medicine, which has been nationally recognized as providing advanced cardiovascular care by numerous leading healthcare agencies.

Considered a “heart hospital within a hospital,” the Center for Cardiovascular Medicine is located on the first floor of the new Porter Regional Hospital and provides advanced cardiovascular medicine in one centralized location. The center has received national recognition and accolades from the American Heart Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Distinction, Society of Chest Pain Centers, and the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. And most recently, Porter was awarded advanced certification in heart failure from The Joint Commission (the first hospital in northern Indiana and the second in the state to receive this honor).

"We are pleased to receive this important certification that recognizes our unique expertise in atrial fibrillation," said Porter’s Cardiovascular Service Line Director Terri Gingerich. "Over the years, our cardiovascular team has developed a program that offers many options for our patients who have atrial fibrillation. Today, we are proud to be a state-wide leader in the recognition, management and treatment for this serious health disease," she added.

According to the American Heart Association, atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is the most common cardiac arrhythmia that can lead to stroke and possibly death. Nearly 3 million patients in the United States have atrial fibrillation and the numbers are increasing as the population ages. With the atrial fibrillation certification, SCPC's goal is to help facilities evaluate and manage the atrial fibrillation patient more effectively, improve patient outcomes, and educate patients and healthcare providers to better care for this disease.

Porter Regional Hospital has demonstrated its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and undergoing a comprehensive review by an accreditation review specialist from the SCPC. Porter’s protocol-driven and systematic approach to patient evaluation and management allows physicians to reduce time to treatment and to risk stratify patients to decrease their length of stay in the emergency department and the hospital.

The Center for Cardiovascular Medicine at Porter Regional Hospital offers a variety of treatment options for atrial fibrillation, including an electrophysiology program offering atrial fibrillation ablation as well as other procedures.

Key areas in which a facility with Atrial Fibrillation Certification must demonstrate expertise include the following:

  • Emergency Department Integration with Emergency Medical Services
  • Emergency Assessment of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
  • Risk Stratification of the Atrial Fibrillation Patient
  • Treatment for Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department in Atrial Fibrillation
  • Atrial Fibrillation Discharge Criteria from the Emergency Department, Observation Services, or Inpatient Stay
  • Atrial Fibrillation Patient Education in the Emergency Department, Observation Services, and Inpatient Unit
  • Personnel, Competencies and Training
  • Process Improvement
  • Organizational Structure and Commitment
  • Atrial Fibrillation Community Outreach

 

Porter Health Care System has two hospital campuses and seven outpatient facilities serving Porter, Lake, LaPorte, Starke, Newton and Jasper counties. With more than 350 physicians representing 50 medical specialties on the medical staff, Porter Health Care System is a leader in technology and overall patient care.

About the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care
The Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC) is an international not-for-profit organization that focuses on transforming cardiovascular care by assisting facilities in their effort to create communities of excellence that bring together quality, cost and patient satisfaction. As the only cross-specialty organization, SCPC provides the support needed for individual hospitals and hospital systems to effectively bridge existing gaps in treatment by providing the tools, education and support necessary to successfully navigate the changing face of healthcare. For more information on SCPC, accreditation and certification opportunities, visit www.scpcp.org, or call toll free 1-877-271-4176.