FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 18, 2017
CONTACT: Colleen Leonard Leyden; Director Corporate Marketing and Public Relations
PHONE:610-431-5699
EMAIL: colleen.leyden@uphs.upenn.edu
West Chester, PA — Echocardiography is used to assess different areas of the heart and can detect heart disease or signs of serious conditions. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, followed closely by stroke as the fourth highest cause of death. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), more than 2,150 Americans die each day from cardiovascular disease which amounts to about one every 40 seconds.
There are many factors that contribute to an accurate diagnosis based on echocardiography. The training and experience of the sonographer performing the procedure, the type of equipment used and the quality assessment metrics each facility is required to measure, all contribute to a positive patient outcome. IAC accreditation is a "seal of approval" that patients can rely on as an indicator of consistent quality care and a dedication to continuous improvement.
Chester County Hospital has been granted an additional three-year term of accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in Echocardiography in the area(s) of Adult Transthoracic, Adult Stress.
"This accreditation is a tribute to our care teams, medical staff and nurses. Their ongoing commitment to providing quality patient care in echocardiography is reflected in this latest accreditation," said Michael J. Duncan, President and CEO of Chester County Hospital.
Accreditation by IAC indicates that Chester County Hospital has undergone an intensive application and review process and is found to be in compliance with the published Standards. Comprised of a detailed self-evaluation followed by a thorough review by a panel of medical experts, the IAC accreditation process enables both the critical operational and technical components of the applicant facility to be assessed, including representative case studies and their corresponding final reports.
About the Intersocietal Accrediation Commission (IAC)
The IAC provides accreditation programs for vascular testing, echocardiography, nuclear medicine/PET, MRI, CT, dental CT, carotid stenting, vein treatment and management, cardiac electrophysiology and cardiovascular catheterization. The IAC programs for accreditation are dedicated to ensuring and promoting quality patient care supporting one common mission: Improving health care through accreditation®. IAC accreditation is widely respected within the medical community, as illustrated by the support of more than 40 national medical societies. To date, the IAC accrediting divisions have granted accreditation to more than 14,000 sites throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. To learn more about IAC, visit intersocietal.org.
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About Chester County Hospital
Throughout 2017, Chester County Hospital is celebrating 125 years of dedication to the health and wellbeing of the people in Chester County, PA and surrounding areas of the western Philadelphia suburbs. Founded in 1892 as the county’s first hospital, the non-profit has grown into a 248-bed acute-care inpatient facility in West Chester, PA. It also has outpatient services in Exton, West Goshen, New Garden, West Grove, Jennersville, and Kennett Square, PA. In 2013, Chester County Hospital became part of Penn Medicine, which is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to medical education, biomedical research and excellent patient care. In addition to quality-driven medical and surgical services, Chester County Hospital also offers home health, inpatient hospice and skilled nursing care; occupational medicine; outpatient laboratory, radiology and physical therapy services; wound care; cardiopulmonary rehab; and a prenatal clinic for the underserved.