Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center Recognized as an Aetna Institute of Quality for Excellence in Cardiac Care
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Hospital receives national recognition for delivering safe and effective, patient-centered heart care
Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center has been recognized yet again for its unparalleled heart care in the South Jersey region, this time as a designated Aetna Institute of Quality Cardiac Care Facility for its clinical performance, quality, value and access to comprehensive heart and vascular treatment announced Alexander J. Hatala, President and CEO for Lourdes Health System.
Aetna makes information about the quality and cost of health care services available to its members to help them make informed decisions about their health care needs. In line with this goal, Aetna recognizes hospitals and medical facilities in its network which offer specialized clinical services for prevalent health conditions. Facilities are selected for consistently delivering safe, evidence-based care through integrated clinical management at the regional level. Institute of Quality Cardiac Care facilities include comprehensive heart and vascular treatment centers that provide both inpatient and outpatient procedures. They also offer medical care for cardiac conditions that do not involve surgery or procedures.
Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center is one of the largest providers of cardiac services in the Delaware Valley. Lourdes Cardiology Services offers more than 100 cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, electrophysiologists and cardiac anesthesiologists, as well as hundreds of nurses, technicians and support staff who successfully integrate the most advanced procedures and techniques available in modern cardiac medicine with a comprehensive patient-centered care model.
In order to become eligible for the Aetna IOQ Cardiac Care Facility designation, hospitals and medical facilities must meet certain criteria including:
Designations for Aetna's Institute of Quality Cardiac Care program include cardiac medical interventions, cardiac rhythm disorders and cardiac surgery. A facility may be designated in one or more of these areas; Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center was designated in all three cardiac areas.
"I am extremely pleased that our continued efforts are being recognized on a national level," said Hatala. "We have been intensely focusing our efforts on our cardiac service line and building our cardiac co-management model with our physicians. This designation confirms that our efforts are being recognized by one of the nation's leading health insurers who has a reputation for being outcomes driven and values based."
In October, HealthGrades, the nation's leading independent hospital ratings organization, named Lourdes among America's 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care. The hospital was further distinguished by being recognized as the number one hospital in New Jersey for overall cardiac services.
For more information about Lourdes cardiac services, please call 1-888-LOURDES or visit their website at www.lourdesnet.org.
Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center has been recognized yet again for its unparalleled heart care in the South Jersey region, this time as a designated Aetna Institute of Quality Cardiac Care Facility for its clinical performance, quality, value and access to comprehensive heart and vascular treatment announced Alexander J. Hatala, President and CEO for Lourdes Health System.
Aetna makes information about the quality and cost of health care services available to its members to help them make informed decisions about their health care needs. In line with this goal, Aetna recognizes hospitals and medical facilities in its network which offer specialized clinical services for prevalent health conditions. Facilities are selected for consistently delivering safe, evidence-based care through integrated clinical management at the regional level. Institute of Quality Cardiac Care facilities include comprehensive heart and vascular treatment centers that provide both inpatient and outpatient procedures. They also offer medical care for cardiac conditions that do not involve surgery or procedures.
Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center is one of the largest providers of cardiac services in the Delaware Valley. Lourdes Cardiology Services offers more than 100 cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, electrophysiologists and cardiac anesthesiologists, as well as hundreds of nurses, technicians and support staff who successfully integrate the most advanced procedures and techniques available in modern cardiac medicine with a comprehensive patient-centered care model.
In order to become eligible for the Aetna IOQ Cardiac Care Facility designation, hospitals and medical facilities must meet certain criteria including:
- Evidence of significant experience in cardiac care, including a minimum of 125 open heart procedures, 400 angioplasty or stent procedures and 50 permanent pacemaker implantation procedures in the most recent 12 calendar months. (Lourdes far exceeds these measures.)
- Use of evidence-based and recognized standards for clinical outcomes, processes of care and patient safety. Lourdes has dedicated performance improvement specialists who work directly with the teams to continually review performance and opportunities for improvement.
- Ongoing follow-up programs and support for their cardiac patients. The Lourdes Cardiology Heart Failure Center has dedicated nurse practitioners who provide these services and are devoted to reducing hospitalization.
- Demonstrated efficiency in providing care based on overall cost of care, readmission rates and comprehensiveness of program. Lourdes Cardiology Services has a physician-led team focused on improved efficiency and outcomes.
Designations for Aetna's Institute of Quality Cardiac Care program include cardiac medical interventions, cardiac rhythm disorders and cardiac surgery. A facility may be designated in one or more of these areas; Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center was designated in all three cardiac areas.
"I am extremely pleased that our continued efforts are being recognized on a national level," said Hatala. "We have been intensely focusing our efforts on our cardiac service line and building our cardiac co-management model with our physicians. This designation confirms that our efforts are being recognized by one of the nation's leading health insurers who has a reputation for being outcomes driven and values based."
In October, HealthGrades, the nation's leading independent hospital ratings organization, named Lourdes among America's 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care. The hospital was further distinguished by being recognized as the number one hospital in New Jersey for overall cardiac services.
For more information about Lourdes cardiac services, please call 1-888-LOURDES or visit their website at www.lourdesnet.org.
