Distinction a Mark of Quality Care for Patients Undergoing Testing for Heart Disease
St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine, has earned a three-year accreditation in Echocardiography, a procedure that can assist in the early detection of life-threatening heart disorders and other cardiovascular diseases. The accreditation was awarded following a stringent review by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission.
Echocardiography, also called a heart ultrasound, can assist in the detection of heart murmurs, congenital heart defects, heart attacks, rheumatic fever and other unexpected changes to the heart. The testing captures moving images of the heart and is one factor that contributes to an accurate diagnosis of a patient’s condition. The skill of the sonographer performing the Echocardiography, the type of equipment used, the background and knowledge of the interpreting physician and quality assurance measures are each a critical component of quality patient testing. St. Elizabeth’s was awarded the accreditation in the Echocardigraphy areas of Adult Transesophageal, Adult Stress, and Adult Transthoracic testing.
“This ‘seal of approval’ from the IAC is a reliable indicator to patients that St. Elizabeth’s provides high quality patient care that is in compliance with national standards,” said Roger Mitty, MD, interim president of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. “The achievement of this accreditation is a testament to the commitment the staff at St. Elizabeth’s has to ensure our patients receive the highest quality of care.”
Accreditation by the IAC means that St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center has undergone a thorough review of its operational and technical components by a panel of experts. The IAC grants accreditation only to those facilities that are found to be providing quality patient care, and is an indication to patients that the hospital has been carefully critiqued on all aspects of its operations considered relevant by medical experts in the field of Echocardiography. Dr. Michael Maysky is the director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.
About St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center
St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center is a major academic medical center affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine and part of the Steward Health Care Network. Areas of medical excellence include cardiology, cardiac surgery, neurosciences, general and robotic surgery, bariatric surgery, women’s health, high-risk obstetrics, bone and joint health, hematology/oncology, pulmonary medicine and emergency medicine. Additional information is available at www.semc.org.