Porter Regional is the First Hospital in Indiana to Receive Full Atrial Fibrillation Accreditation

Porter-New-Hospital-Coming-SoonPorter Regional Hospital has become the first health care facility in Indiana to receive full Atrial Fibrillation with Electrophysiology Services Accreditation status from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC), an Institute of the American College of Cardiology.

“We are pleased to receive this important accreditation 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.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and has become recognized as a health concern that in some cases can lead to stroke and possible death. More than 5 million patients in the United States have atrial fibrillation and that number is rapidly increasing as our population ages. Atrial fibrillation patients are known to use more healthcare services and have much higher healthcare costs than non-AFib patient populations. SCPC’s Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Accreditation helps hospitals: evaluate and manage the AFib patient more precisely, improve patient outcomes, and educate patients and healthcare providers leading to more effective and efficient disease control.

Porter Regional Hospital has demonstrated its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding an array of stringent criteria and undergoing a comprehensive onsite review by an accreditation review specialist from SCPC.

Hospitals that receive SCPC’s AFib Accreditation status employ an evidence-based, protocol-driven and systematic approach to patient management. This allows clinicians to reduce time to treatment and to better risk stratify patients while also reducing length-of-stay in the emergency department and the hospital.

By achieving SCPC’s Atrial Fibrillation with EPS Accreditation status, Porter Regional Hospital demonstrates expertise in the following areas:

  • Governance – Improves performance by effectively aligning people and services.
  • Community Outreach – Increases public awareness and community education initiatives; develop partnerships with primary and specialty health care providers, care facilities, local businesses, and employers; provide consultation services and support groups.
  • Pre-Acute Care – Integrates out-of-hospital interventions delivered by community healthcare providers and first responders.
  • Early Stabilization – Addresses immediate concerns in triage and perform initial activities related to risk assessment and stabilization.
  • Acute Care – Employs a multidisciplinary, patient-centric approach from observation (or admission) through discharge to ensure an appropriate LOS and optimal patient outcome.
  • Transitional Care – Prevents unnecessary re-admissions with established care coordination at discharge, including early follow-up care and patient/family education.
  • Clinical Quality Measures – Measures performance and outcomes related to thromboembolic and bleeding risk assessment, cardioversion, readmission, follow-up, and others; trend performance over time; use the data to improve quality.

Considered a “heart hospital within a hospital,” Porter Regional’s Center for Cardiovascular Medicine provides advanced cardiovascular medicine in one centralized location. The center has received national recognition and accolades from The Joint Commission, the American Heart Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Distinction, Society of Chest Pain Centers, and the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.