Loyola University Medical Center receives accreditation in pediatric transthoracic echocardiography

Loyola University Medical Center has received a three-year accreditation in pediatric transthoracic echocardiography by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC).

The accreditation is the result of a thorough review of the operational and technical components of Loyola's echocardiography laboratory by an expert panel of pediatric cardiologists and pediatric cardiac sonographers.

The IAC grants accreditation only to facilities found to provide quality patient care, in compliance with national standards through a comprehensive application process that includes detailed case-study review.

Only a handful of centers in Illinois are accredited in pediatric transthoracic echocardiography. Loyola also is accredited in three other areas of echocardiography: adult transthoracic, adult transesophageal and adult stress.

The IAC accreditation is a seal of approval for patients. The accreditation also is widely respected within the medical community and several insurance companies require echocardiography providers to be accredited.

Each year, more than 35,000 babies in the United States are born with a congenital heart defect, making it the most common type of birth defect. A noninvasive ultrasound called an echocardiogram is commonly used to evaluate heart structure and function in these babies.