Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE) Statement on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) National Quality Strategy

WASHINGTON, March 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure high-quality patient care and promote patient safety in facilities where invasive cardiac and endovascular procedures are performed, supports the National Strategy for Quality Improvement in Health Care (National Quality Strategy) issued today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The National Quality Strategy highlights six priority areas to focus initial efforts for quality improvement, including promoting "effective prevention and treatment practices for the leading causes of mortality, starting with cardiovascular disease."

ACE's process of objective review of appropriate use and risk-adjusted outcomes, commitment to the highest standards of care, and customized corrective guidance to facilities, when necessary, sets the program apart as a model for health care and procedural accreditation. As national quality efforts are implemented in coming years, ACE will continue to lead in efforts that make tangible impacts on quality care through accreditation programs that assist facilities as they maintain and strive to improve their cardiovascular outcomes. By focusing solely on improvements in cardiac and endovascular care, ACE is poised to execute models of care that are in line with the National Quality Strategy priorities for reducing and preventing cardiovascular disease.

Founded by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) in 2009, ACE provides professional review of facilities where invasive cardiac and endovascular procedures are performed and will accredit those that achieve pre-determined benchmarks for appropriate use of procedures, quality care, and the establishment of a rigorous continuous quality improvement program requiring external review of the peer review process. Recent studies in Health Affairs and Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions have shown accreditation improves patient outcomes and promotes progress toward enhanced patient safety standards.

REMARKS FROM ACE LEADERSHIP

Bonnie H. Weiner, M.D., MSEC, MBA, FSCAI, CMO and chair of ACE's Board of Directors, and director of interventional cardiology research at Saint Vincent Hospital at Worcester Medical Center, Worcester, Mass.:

"The National Quality Strategy goals and priorities released today are an important step forward in efforts to improve the quality of health care in the United States for patients with cardiovascular disease. The Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE) welcomes new direction on health care quality improvement set by the National Quality Strategy, and we look forward to working with HHS officials to share our program successes that have been proven to greatly improve cardiovascular patient outcomes and quality care."

"We are very pleased to see the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services placed a significant emphasis on reducing cardiovascular disease, a chronic illness that accounts for one of every three deaths in the United States. The Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE) shares in the National Quality Strategy commitment in promoting effective prevention and treatment practices, as well as accreditation guidance for providers, to enhance quality cardiovascular patient care."

"Patients need objective, transparent and understandable information on which to base their health care decisions. Accreditation is one way of accomplishing this, especially in environments where patient trust has been eroded by allegations of misuse. The primary goal of ACE is to increase the consistency of superior cardiovascular care across the United States. Patients who are treated at an ACE-accredited cardiovascular center should feel confident the facility has taken the appropriate, evidence-based steps to help ensure the best care for each individual patient."

About ACE

The Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure high-quality patient care and promote patient safety in facilities where invasive cardiac and endovascular procedures are performed. ACE will achieve its mission by setting standards for quality care, establishing requirements for accreditation, and providing peer review of cardiac and endovascular programs. ACE will also provide tools and resources to support self-evaluation and quality improvement. For more information about ACE, visit www.cvexcel.org.

SOURCE Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence