Heart Program Accreditation and Awards

Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular (NRHV) has received Chest Pain Center Accreditation with PCI (cardiac interventions) by the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC). Adventist Medical Center (AMC) is one of only three hospitals in the state of Oregon to receive this accreditation.

Our program is among the nation's top 10 percent of hospitals for their speed and accuracy in reopening blocked vessels. This accreditation confirms the results of AMC's quality outcomes for which the hospital has become known. AMC currently treats one in three cardiac arrest patients in Multnomah County.

The SCPC focuses on a hospital's ability to demonstrate expertise in eight key areas. These areas are:

• Integrating the emergency department with the local emergency medical system
• Assessing, diagnosing and treating patients quickly
• Effectively treating patients with low risk for acute coronary syndrome and no assignable cause for their symptoms
• Continually seeking to improve processes and procedures
• Ensuring Chest Pain Center personnel competency and training
• Maintaining organizational structure and commitment
• Having a functional design that promotes optimal patient care
• Supporting community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack.

Accredited STEMI Receiving Center

Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular has received the American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation.

The accreditation program-sponsored by the American Heart Association and the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care-recognizes centers that meet or exceed quality of care measures for people experiencing the most severe type of heart attack, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), in which blood flow is completely blocked to a portion of the heart.

AACVPR Cardiac Rehab Accreditation

Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular at Adventist Medical Center has received the AACVPR Cardiac Rehab Accreditation. This is a recognition of our commitment to improving the quality of life by enhancing standards of care. Cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation programs are designed to help people with cardiovascular problems (e.g. heart attacks, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, etc.) and pulmonary problems (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), respiratory symptoms, etc.) recover faster and improve their quality of life. Both programs include exercise, education, counseling and support for patients and their families.

Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular's rehabilitation program participated in the one month application process which requires extensive documentation of the program's practices. The AACVPR Program Certification is the only peer-reviewed accreditation process designed to review individual programs for adherence to standards and guidelines developed and published by the AACVPR and other professional societies. Each program is reviewed by the AACVPR National Certification Committee and certification is awarded by the AACVPR Board of Directors.

Certified AACVPR programs are recognized as leaders in the field of cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation because they offer the most advanced practices available.

Gold Award for Heart Attack Care

Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular consistently followed the treatment guidelines in ACTION Registry®-GWTGTM for eight consecutive quarters and met a performance standard of 85% for specific performance measures to receive this 2011 award.

This award recognizes the commitment of Adventist Medical Center to higher standards of cardiac care.

Gold Award for Stroke Care

The Gold Award for Stroke Care from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association recognizes the commitment of Adventist Medical Center (AMC) to higher standards of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment for at least 24 months. Adventist Medical Center has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. To receive the Get With the Guidelines-Stroke Gold Quality Achievement Award, AMC demonstrated a minimum of 85% adherence to key measures for more than 24 consecutive months.

National Cardiovascular Data Registry Silver Performance Achievement Award

Northwest Regional Heart and Vascular has received the 2010 Performance Achievement Award for improvement in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction patients through implementation of ACTION Registry-GWTG and in-hospital initiation of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association STEIM/NSTEMI Clinical Guideline recommendations.

Joint Commission Accreditation for Stroke Care

The Joint Commission's Certificate of Distinction for Primary Stroke Centers recognizes centers that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care. Achievement of certification signifies that the services you provide have the critical elements to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes. It is the best signal to your community that the quality care you provide is effectively managed to meet the unique and specialized needs of stroke patients. In fact, demonstrating compliance with these national standards and performance measurement expectations may help obtain contracts from employers and purchasers concerned with controlling costs and improving productivity.