University Health receives highest professional endorsement for outstanding heart care
University Health receives highest professional endorsement for outstanding heart care
The prestigious American College of Cardiology (ACC) is awarding University Health’s Cardiovascular Center accreditations and certifications that signify the highest technical standards and exceptional outcomes for patients receiving heart and vascular care.
Two coveted professional credentials follow a year of rigorous ACC review and the examination of the center’s facility, staff qualifications, infection control, emergency procedures and – most importantly – patient outcomes.
Top U.S. heart designation for catheterization program
The evaluation led the ACC to award University Health with one of only two Catheterization Lab with PCI accreditations in San Antonio. PCI, percutaneous intervention, is a common procedure that uses a stent to open blocked arteries. For this accreditation, the lab’s team is recognized as exceptional in its use of minimally invasive procedures to rapidly diagnose and treat life-threating problems, including opening blocked arteries, implanting pacemakers or defibrillators and correcting heart rhythms.
“The ACC accreditation distinguishes us as a destination center for advanced cardiovascular care,” said Dr. Anand Prasad, an interventional cardiologist and the director of the University Health Cardiovascular Center. “It’s a nationally recognized credential that informs medical providers, insurance companies and patients that we meet the highest standards required for top heart hospitals across the United States.”
Region’s only certification for TAVR program
The ACC has also granted University Health the only certification in Central and South Texas for a transcatheter valve program where minimally invasive procedures are used instead of open-heart surgery to treat failing heart valves. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement, known as TAVR, is an important option to replace an aortic valve in patients who are older or frail and may be unable to withstand more risky surgery. The program’s mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair or TEER is a less invasive method for repairing a valve when it doesn’t properly close and blood flows back into the heart.
“This certification represents a transformational step and validates that our program consistently achieves outcomes on par with the best centers in the country—lower complication rates, faster recoveries and improved quality of life after valve interventions,” said Dr. Ahmed Almomani, an interventional cardiologist and director of the University Health Structural Heart and Valve Center.
University Health’s rapidly expanding Cardiovascular Center is a multispecialty center with numerous dedicated clinics:
- Interventional Cardiology Clinic
- Structural Heart and Valve Center
- Women’s Heart Center
- Limb Salvage Clinic
- Pediatric and Adult Congenital Heart Clinics
Each clinic brings together a team of specialists in one location who can diagnose and treat multiple conditions affecting a patient’s heart health.
