Women's group recognizes UCI Health commitment to heart care
February 10, 2014
UC Irvine Medical Center is among 290 hospitals nationally to be recognized by WomenCertified® as one of the "Best Hospitals for Patient Experience in Heart Care." WomenCertified® is a consumer advocacy organization that seeks to assist women’s healthcare choices by identifying hospitals with records of excellence in the treatment of heart attacks and heart disease.
“Everyone on our cardiovascular team, including physicians, nurses, technicians and therapists, is committed to providing its patients with the highest quality cardiac care available,” said Dr. Pranav Patel, chief of the UCI Health School of Medicine's Division of Cardiology.
Heart specialists at UCI Health Cardiology Services diagnose and treat all conditions of the heart and vascular system with state-of-the-art technology and expertise that is unmatched in Orange County.
In 2013, UC Irvine Medical Center received the Get With The Guidelines®–Heart Failure Gold Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association for the third consecutive year. The recognition signifies that UCI Health has achieved the goal of treating heart failure patients according to the guidelines of care recommended by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology.
“As the leading consumer advocate for women, our mission is to simplify her healthcare choices by recognizing those hospitals demonstrating excellence in meeting the needs and preferences of women,” said Delia Passi, CEO of WomenCertified® Inc.
The UCI Health commitment to high-quality cardiac care is demonstrated in other ways:
- In January 2010, the hospital opened its Cardiovascular Center, a one-stop shop designed to make the diagnosis and treatment of heart and blood vessel disease a kinder and gentler experience for patients and their families.
- In 2010, The Joint Commission renewed its Gold Seal of Approval for UC Irvine’s heart failure program. In 2008, this certification was the first by The Joint Commission at a Southern California hospital.
- The UCI Health Preventive Cardiology Program is Orange County’s only research-based heart disease prevention program.
According to the American Heart Association, about 5.7 million people suffer from heart failure, or the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the body’s needs. About 670,000 new cases are diagnosed each year and more than 277,000 people will die of heart failure. However, many heart failure patients can lead a full, enjoyable life when their condition is managed with proper medications and devices and with healthy lifestyle changes.
WomenCertified® selects hospitals to join our network based on a number of criteria that distinguishes them as a hospital of choice among women. They are determined first by identifying hospitals that offer a minimum number of cardiac and/or vascular services, meet certain clinical heart care measures, and have a high recommendation rate, a measure that is very important to women in choosing a hospital.
Measures include rates of readmission and death within 30 days of admission for heart attack and heart failure. WomenCertified® utilizes data made available by Medicare and the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems and follow a method that is totally objective and uniform. No subjective considerations are used to determine the award winners. The process resulted in 290 hospitals receiving the award out of a population of over 4,600 facilities.
UCI Health comprises the clinical, medical education and research enterprises of the University of California, Irvine. Patients can access UCI Health at physician offices throughout Orange County and at its main campus, UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif., a 412-bed acute care hospital that provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation. U.S. News & World Report has listed it among America’s Best Hospitals for 13 consecutive years. UC Irvine Medical Center features Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program, Level I trauma center and Level II pediatric trauma center, and is the primary teaching hospital for UC Irvine School of Medicine. UCI Health serves a region of more than 3 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
