Spectrum Health Receives Only Second PCI Accreditation in U.S.

September 23, 2011

Spectrum Health announced today that it has become the second institution in the U.S. accredited by Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE) for percutaneous coronary intervention.

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

Percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI, is a procedure to open narrowed or blocked blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. It is commonly referred to as angioplasty. A small metal tube called a stent often is placed during or immediately after angioplasty. It helps prevent the artery from closing up again.

“Spectrum Health has always been committed to providing safe, high quality cardiovascular care,” said David Wohns, MD, cath lab medical director at the Spectrum Health Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center. “We welcomed the opportunity to compare the care we give patients against nationally accepted gold standard practices. This accreditation is a tribute to the efforts of physicians and staff in the Meijer Heart Center cath labs.”

“We congratulate Spectrum Health for seeking and obtaining an ACE percutaneous coronary intervention accreditation,” said ACE Chief Medical Officer Bonnie Weiner, MD. “By submitting to a rigorous, independent evaluation, Spectrum Health has shown an uncompromising commitment to provide safe, high quality care.”

The ACE evaluation process involves an in-depth independent review of personnel, quality-assurance processes, facility equipment and outcomes information. All data collected is 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 is sponsored by The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions and the American College of Cardiology, the two leading professional cardiovascular organizations, jointly representing over 40,000 practitioners.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of nine hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, a state of the art children’s hospital that opened in January 2011, and 180 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group and West Michigan Heart, physician groups totaling more than 600 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with 625,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with more than 17,800 employees. The organization provided $115.9 million in community benefit during its 2010 fiscal year. In 2011 and 2010, Spectrum Health was named a Top 10 Health System by Thomson Reuters.