Christiana Care Health System's Heart Failure Program Awarded Certification from the Joint Commission

WILMINGTON, Del., July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Christiana Care Health System's Center for Heart & Vascular Health is the only hospital in Delaware and one of just 33 in the United States to earn The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™ for its heart failure program.

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The certification demonstrates Christiana Care complies with The Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care. The award recognizes Christiana Care's dedication to continuous adherence to The Joint Commission's state-of-the-art standards.

Christiana Care recently underwent a rigorous on-site survey. A team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated Christiana Care for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients and families with heart failure. The heart failure program was recognized for its progressive care models, levels of staff engagement and collaboration among providers.

The surveyors identified the program as one of the best they have reviewed in the United States. "In achieving Joint Commission certification, Christiana Care has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients with heart failure," said Jean Range, MS, RN, CPHQ, executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission. "Certification is a voluntary process and I commend Christiana Care for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves."

"This certification is a testament to the high-quality treatment we provide to patients with heart failure," said Timothy J. Gardner, M.D., medical director of the Center for Heart & Vascular Health and past national president of the American Heart Association. "It signifies that our services have met the requirements needed to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes. It's also a signal to the community that we can effectively manage the unique and specialized needs of heart failure patients and that there is no need for them to leave the state to receive the highest level of care."

"Disease-specific advanced certification in heart failure is the culmination of a tremendous team effort within the Center for Heart & Vascular Health and across the entire Christiana Care Health System," added Mitchell Saltzberg, M.D., medical director of the Heart Failure Program. "Our program continues to strive to do the right things for congestive heart failure patients to define our program as a regional and national center of excellence. This certification is a major step toward maintaining excellence and continually improving the care we provide."

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, about 5.7 million people in the U.S. have heart failure, and it results in about 300,000 deaths each year.

The Center for Heart & Vascular Health is one of the most technologically advanced cardiovascular care centers in the United States. It recently earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™ for its treatment of stroke and a three-star rating for heart surgery, the highest available, from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The American Heart Association has recognized the Center for Heart & Vascular Health with Get With The Guidelines Awards for sustained quality achievement and exceeding national standards in the treatment heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

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Timothy J. Gardner

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SOURCE Christiana Care Health System