In a tribute to its patient focus and teamwork, The Joint Commission, the nation’s leading accrediting body, is giving its first ever Comprehensive Cardiac Center Certification to The University of Kansas Health System. “Congratulations to The University of Kansas Health System for being the first hospital in the country to achieve Joint Commission Comprehensive Cardiac Center Certification,” said Patrick Phelan, executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission. “Its leadership in pursuing this certification is a demonstration of its desire to reduce unwanted variations in how cardiac care is provided to patients across the spectrum from the emergency department through follow-up outpatient care.”
The certification honors heart programs with a comprehensive approach to care and a commitment to excellence, along with a dedication to continuous improvement. The certification criteria include outstanding patient outcomes and a “patient first” philosophy where all specialties collaborate to achieve a better patient outcome.
“The evaluation process from this national organization was rigorous and patients can trust this honor as an indicator of quality. There is no need for any patient to leave the area to get the best, highest quality comprehensive heart care,” said Bob Page president and chief executive officer of The University of Kansas Health System.
“When we revitalized our heart program in 2000, we had a mission to first be best in the region and then best in the country. We realized the way to get there was to make everything we do about the patient. This certification validates our approach and confirms we are on the right trajectory. Every member of the heart team and our entire organization should be both humbled and proud of this certification,” adds Page.
The “comprehensive” part of the certification refers to the many specialties within the heart program, and the ability of all areas to work together to benefit patients.
“It is critical to our program to have no walls between specialists. We were the first program in the region to put cardiologists and heart surgeons in the same office, side by side, to foster cooperation. We also pioneered the hybrid suite where interventional cardiologists and surgeons work together on leading edge heart procedures,” says Peter Tadros, MD, director of interventional cardiology at The University of Kansas Health System.
“That cooperation extends to all other departments and hospitals in the health system and to referring hospitals throughout the Midwest. Working together is always in the best interest of the patient. It is that kind of culture this certification honors,” says Dr. Tadros, who led the team working with The Joint Commission on the certification.
