Newton-Wellesley Hospital Echocardiography Laboratory Earns Reaccreditation by IAC

Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s Echocardiography Laboratory has been granted an additional three-year term of accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in Echocardiography in the area of Adult Transthoracic. This latest accreditation demonstrates the facility’s ongoing commitment to providing quality patient care in echocardiography.

Echocardiography is used to assess different areas of the heart and can detect heart disease or signs of serious cardiovascular conditions. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, followed closely by stroke as the fourth highest cause of death. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), more than 2,150 Americans die each day from cardiovascular disease which amounts to about one every 40 seconds.

“This accreditation is a “seal of approval” that our patients can rely on as an indicator of consistent high quality care and dedication to continuous improvement,” said Giulia L. Sheftel, MD, Director of the Echocardiography Laboratory at the Elfers Cardiovascular Center at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

There are many factors that contribute to an accurate diagnosis based on echocardiography. The training and experience of the sonographer performing the procedure, the type of equipment used and the quality assessment metrics each facility is required to measure, all contribute to a positive patient outcome.

Accreditation by the IAC means that Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s Echocardiography Laboratory has undergone an intensive application and review process and is found to be compliance with the published Standards thus demonstrating a commitment to quality patient care in echocardiography. 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.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital recently opened its Elfers Cardiovascular Center, a multidisciplinary center that provides the highest quality cardiac care in collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital Cardiology and Vascular Surgery Divisions. The Center, centrally located in more than 20,000 square feet of space on the second floor of the hospital, is dedicated to the early diagnosis, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with cardiovascular disease. Patients have access to expert medical teams, including cardiologists, vascular surgeons, electrophysiologists and interventional radiologists from both Newton-Wellesley Hospital and Mass General–all in one convenient location, close to home.

For more information, visit www.nwh.org/heart.