The Pediatric Catheterization Lab at the C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Heart Institute at Wolfson Children’s Hospital recently became the first pediatric cath lab in the Southeast to receive accreditation in cardiovascular catheterization by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). Only five other pediatric cardiac cath labs nationwide have been granted this accreditation by the IAC.
The IAC is a nonprofit organization that evaluates and accredits facilities that provide diagnostic imaging and interventional-based procedures. The organization’s accreditation programs are dedicated to quality improvement and patient safety in offices, clinics and hospitals where procedures are performed.
The lab must undergo a rigorous clinical peer review process and follow IAC patient care and performance standards to receive accreditation. The process includes a self-evaluation followed by a thorough review by a panel of medical experts.
“Wolfson Children’s Hospital offers care to patients of all ages with congenital heart defects, from premature babies to adults. Increasingly, this care involves procedures performed in the cath lab, which provides a less invasive treatment method,” said Rajesh Shenoy MD, a fetal and pediatric cardiologist and medical director of the Wolfson Children's Terry Heart Institute. “The accreditation by the IAC reflects the emphasis on quality and safety, a hallmark of the care provided at Wolfson Children's Terry Heart Institute, the only full-service program for pediatric cardiac care in Jacksonville.”
Procedures performed in the cath lab include valve and stent placement, correction of heart arrhythmia and closure of holes in vessels or in the chambers of the heart. These minimally invasive procedures have a lower risk of infection, pain or bleeding and have a quicker recovery time than cardiac surgeries of the past.
“The pediatric cardiac cath lab staff have always worked hard to ensure we deliver high-quality patient care. This includes developing and implementing practices and protocols that maximize safety as we continue offering the latest interventional catheterization therapies to the region’s most fragile patients,” said Robert English MD, pediatric interventional cardiologist and director of the pediatric cath lab. “This is a very high-level seal of approval and is another assurance to our patients and their families that we will continue to provide outstanding care to those requiring a procedure in the cath lab.”
Physicians providing care at Wolfson Children’s Hospital are not employees nor agents of the hospital. Services at Wolfson Children’s Hospital are provided primarily by pediatric physician specialists employed by Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville, University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville, Baptist Specialty Physicians Inc. and Emergency Resources Group.
