Children's Colorado granted IAC's Cardiovascular Catheterization accreditation

The Heart Institute at Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) has been granted the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission's (IAC) Cardiovascular Catheterization accreditation for Pediatric Cardiovascular Catheterization, Complex Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Valve Interventions, and Structural Heart Interventions. According to the IAC, this accreditation is a "seal of approval" that patients can rely on as an indicator of consistent quality and a dedication to continuous improvement. This accreditation has so far only been achieved by three congenital cath labs in the U.S.

Each year, Children's Colorado performs more than 800 diagnostic and interventional heart catheterizations to diagnose and make repairs to the heart. These procedures are only performed by facilities like the one at Children's Colorado that specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of acquired and congenital heart disease. Further demonstrating the hospital's commitment to quality, safety and innovative care, the Cath Lab also:

• Offers one of the lowest radiation labs in the country with the recent implementation of a new system from Philips
• Is the only hospital in the region that can repair a PDA occlusion in the Cath Lab

"Many heart defects that once required open heart surgery can now be corrected in Children's Colorado's Catheterization Lab," said Gareth Morgan, MD, congenital interventional cardiologist and medical director of the cath lab at Children's Colorado. "The catheterization procedures we perform are less invasive, offer a quicker recovery time and have less risk when compared to more invasive heart procedures."

The hard work and commitment of the physicians, nurses and technicians in the Cath Lab combined with continued investment by the hospital has been recognized by the IAC. The Children's Colorado Cath Lab now boasts the most modern imaging equipment in the region, allowing a host of new techniques and procedures to be carried out by a dedicated team of pediatric and adult congenital specialists.

Cardiovascular catheterization accreditation by the IAC indicates that Children's Colorado's Cardiac Cath Lab has undergone a rigorous clinical peer review and is found to be in compliance with the published standards, thus demonstrating a commitment to quality patient care in the performance of cardiovascular interventional procedures. Comprised of a detailed self-evaluation followed by a thorough review by a panel of medical experts, the IAC accreditation process enables both the critical operational and technical components of the applicant facility to be assessed, including representative case studies and their corresponding final reports.