From the Winter 2013 StayHealthy publication
Porter Regional Hospital Offers Award-Winning Services
Before choosing a hospital, it is always good to do your homework. Because the fact is, some hospitals do a better job than others. Porter Health Care System is focused on providing the highest level of patient care, and, in so doing, has earned numerous awards, recognitions and certifications from a variety of professional bodies and organizations. These accolades validate Porter’s commitment to quality and comprehensive medical care.
Accredited Chest Pain Center Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care
Accreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC), an international, not-for-prot organization, means Porter engaged in rigorous evaluation and renement of its cardiac care processes to integrate the healthcare industry’s successful practices and newest models for care. e accreditation process required close coordination between Porter’s Emergency, Cardiology, Pharmacy, and Internal Medicine Departments as well as other hospital departments.
For Porter to receive SCPC accreditation, the hospital had to demonstrate expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and completing on-site evaluations by a review team from the SCPC. As part of the process, Porter provided documentation proving that systems were in place to expedite and improve the treatment of patients experiencing a heart attack, including getting them from the Emergency Department to the Cath Lab for treatment in under 90 minutes. Called “door-to-balloon time” this is the window of opportunity necessary to restore blood ow to the body, thereby reducing damage to the heart and increasing longevity.
Silver Quality Achievement Award Get with the Guidelines® - Heart Failure
The Center for Cardiovascular Medicine at Porter was recently listed in the US News & World Report Focus on Quality report for receiving the 2012 Get with the Guidelines® – Heart Failure Silver Award.
The Silver Award recognizes Porter’s performance for 12 consecutive months, and it means that the hospital has reached an aggressive goal of treating heart failure patients with 85 percent compliance, according to core standard levels of care as outlined by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology secondary prevention guidelines.
By following the Get with the Guidelines® – Heart Failure treatment guideline and procedures, which include aggressive treatment protocols, Porter has reduced disability and death in patients with heart failure and is helping prevent future hospitalizations in these patients.
Cardiac Care – Blue Distinction Center® Blue Cross Blue Shield
The dedicated team at Porter’s Center for Cardiovascular Medicine focuses on providing quality cardiac care – which is just one criterion that Blue Cross Blue Shield used to determine that the hospital qualied as a Blue Distinction Center. Processes such as advanced training programs for Porter physicians, the length of time Porter has been performing certain cardiac procedures, the number of times a a particular cardiac procedure has been performed, complication and mortality rates, and the hospital’s comprehensive quality management program were also taken into consideration.
Being designated a Blue Distinction Center in Cardiac Care shows that Porter has a proven track record in patient safety and that it meets national quality standards. Porter provides a full range of cardiac care services, including inpatient cardiac care, cardiac rehabilitation, cardiac catheterization and cardiac surgery.
Knee and Hip Replacement - Blue Distinction Center® Blue Cross Blue Shield
This designation by Blue Cross Blue Shield was given to Porter Regional Hospital due to its Center for Orthopedic Medicine’s expertise and commitment to quality care. e designation is based on rigorous, evidence-based selection criteria established in collaboration with expert physicians’ and medical organizations’ recommendations.
As a Blue Distinction Center, Porter has shown that the hospital has an established knee and hip replacement program with the required case volume, and it has an experienced knee and hip replacement surgery team that includes board certied physicians. e distinction also means the hospital has an established inpatient facility, oers pre-operative patient education and supportive transitional care.
At Porter, the clinical outcomes for patients receiving knee and hip replacements meet objective outcomes relating to complication rates and length of stay.
Advanced Certification Primary Stroke Center Joint Commission
The Joint Commission, in conjunction with e American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, has recognized Porter with Advanced Certication for Primary Stroke Centers. is certication conrms Porter’s commitment to the highest level of care for stroke patients and demonstrates that Porter improves outcomes for patients seeking treatment for stroke. Long- term success for patients occurs because Porter provides consistent, tailored care based on best-practice guidelines.
To achieve Advanced Certication, Porter underwent a rigorous, on-site review to ensure compliance with the requirements for e Joint Commission’s Disease-Specic Care Certication program as well as primary stroke center requirements, such as collecting Joint Commission core measure data and using it for performance improvement activities.
Certification required that Porter have an established cardiac care program and was performing the required number of procedures. It also conrms that the hospital has an experienced cardiac team, including sub-specialty board certication for interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, which is present at Porter’s Center for Cardiovascular Medicine.
A Blue Distinction Center must also have intensive care, emergency and a full range of cardiac services.