Newswise — TOLEDO, Ohio, September 3, 2014 - ProMedica Toledo Hospital has been accredited for cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention by Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence™ (ACE). It is the first – and only – hospital in Ohio to earn this accreditation; only 1% of cath labs in the United States have achieved it.

“Our goal with ACE™ is to ensure that we are providing the most appropriate, best possible and safest care for our patients who entrust their hearts to us,” says Praveen Tamirisa, MD, MS, MBA, FACC, FSCAI, an interventional cardiologist with ProMedica Physicians Cardiology, formerly known as Northwest Ohio Cardiology Consultants.

ACE is an organization dedicated to ensuring adherence to the highest quality standards for cardiovascular and endovascular care. This professional review of an organization’s structure, internal processes, patient safety practices and clinical outcomes determines if the hospital meets the standards established by experts in cardiac and endovascular care.

“We congratulate Toledo Hospital for seeking and obtaining an ACE cardiac catheterization accreditation,” said ACE Chief Medical Officer Bonnie Weiner, MD. “By submitting to a rigorous, independent evaluation, this facility has shown an uncompromising commitment to provide safe, high-quality care.”

ACE is committed to helping facilities that deliver interventional cardiovascular care provide gold-standard healthcare by measuring the facility’s practices, personnel, processes and outcomes against nationally-accepted best-practice standards. Implemented to supplement existing quality-improvement programs, the ACE outcomes-based accreditation promotes uniform benchmarks, and improves appropriate utilization via an independent, third-party evaluation of facilities and practices.

The ACE evaluation process involves an in-depth independent review of personnel, quality-assurance processes, facility equipment and outcomes information. All data collected are measured against nationally-accepted standards for the highest-quality cardiovascular care. Facilities who undergo this voluntary and rigorous process demonstrate an exceptional commitment to providing the best possible care to patients.

ACE accreditation grew out of national concerns a few years ago and well-publicized examples of patients undergoing unnecessary cardiac stenting procedures. The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions and the American College of Cardiology Foundation worked together to form ACE, resulting in a rigorous, independent evaluation of cath labs.

Each year close to 5,000 diagnostic cardiac catheterizations and 1,200 interventional procedures are performed at the ProMedica Toledo Hospital cath lab.

About Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE)ACE, an independent organization sponsored by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF), offers independent evaluation and monitoring of facilities that provide cardiovascular care. By reviewing facility and operator performance and comparing clinical decision-making to nationally accepted best practices; ACE quality review and accreditation services play a critical role in continuous quality improvement programs. Learn more at http://www.cvexcel.org.

About ProMedicaToledo, Ohio-based ProMedica is a mission-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization formed in 1986. ProMedica has more than 15,000 employees and nearly 1,900 physicians with more than 600 healthcare providers employed by ProMedica Physicians. Its 12 hospitals and more than 300 facilities offer comprehensive diagnostic, medical and surgical specialties in heart and vascular, oncology, orthopaedics, neurology, and women and pediatric services. ProMedica’s mission is to improve health and well-being, with a strong focus on wellness and clinical excellence, as well as innovative, community advocacy programs that address health-related issues such as hunger and obesity. For more information, please visit www.promedica.org.