Three CHI Franciscan Health hospitals have received accreditation for cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention from Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence. The cardiac catheterization labs are located at St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor; St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way and St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma.
Being Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence accredited means these CHI Franciscan hospitals meet the highest standards for cardiac care, they only perform percutaneous coronary intervention procedures when appropriate and their post-procedure care meets nationally accepted standards. These CHI Franciscan hospitals are the first in Washington state to receive this recognition.
“Receiving this accreditation spotlights the dedication and hard work of all our cardiovascular physicians, nurses and staff,” said Gregory Eberhart, medical director of cardiovascular services for CHI Franciscan. “We are committed to providing our patients with the highest quality of cardiovascular care and ensuring our outcomes meet or exceed national standards.”
Cardiac catheterization is a diagnostic medical procedure often performed when a patient is suspected of having a heart attack caused by a blockage. Interventional cardiologists insert a long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter into a blood vessel in a patient’s arm or groin and then it is threaded to the heart. Through the catheter, a physician can perform diagnostic tests and treatments on the heart.
Percutaneous coronary intervention, formerly known as angioplasty with a stent, is a related non-surgical procedure that uses a catheter to place a stent to open up blood vessels that may have been narrowed by plaque buildup. The intervention improves a patient’s blood flow which decreases heart-related chest pain.
Interventional cardiologists perform more than 3,000 diagnostic catheterizations and interventions in CHI Franciscan cardiac catheterization labs each year.
For more information on CHI Franciscan Health’s cardiovascular services, visit www.chifranciscan.orgheart.
