Ascension Seton Pulmonary Hypertension Program Receives Accreditation

The Ascension Seton Pulmonary Hypertension program has received accreditation from the Pulmonary Hypertension Association as a Regional Clinical Program. The Pulmonary Hypertension clinic is part of the Ascension Seton Heart Specialty Care and Transplant Center located on the 5th floor of Medical Park Tower of Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin.

After an extensive review process including an on-site review from several leaders in the field and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, the Ascension Seton program became one of only three adult Regional Clinical Programs for pulmonology hypertension in Texas, and the only such program in Central Texas.

“Pulmonary hypertension is a rare condition but the number of patients affected is increasing locally as the population of Austin and Central Texas grows,” said Dr. John Dallas, medical director of the Pulmonary Hypertension program at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin. “It is fatal without treatment and can be difficult to diagnose, so having this accreditation ensures patients receive an accurate diagnosis and have access to the latest treatment options and clinical trials. Pulmonary hypertension involves both the heart and the lungs, and one of the strengths of our program is that patients can be seen by both a cardiologist and pulmonologist in the same clinic.”

Ascension Seton Heart Specialty Care and Transplant Center includes pulmonary hypertension screening as part of its heart failure clinic. The center also includes a social worker, nutritionist, advanced practice nurses, psychologist and pharmacist as well as phlebotomy, palliative care and cardiac/pulmonary rehab as part of its integrated care approach, and is involved in more than 30 ongoing clinical trials. In addition, Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin has a robust cardiovascular surgery program, cardiac ICU and active ECMO and mechanical circulatory support programs.

“We are excited about this hard-won accreditation which validates the success of our program,” said Dr. Ernest Haeusslein, advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist and medical director of the Ascension Seton Heart Specialty Care & Transplant Center. “We look forward to earning our pulmonary hypertension Comprehensive Care Center designation when our program is reviewed for re-accreditation in 2027.”

About Ascension Texas
In Texas, Ascension operates Ascension Providence in Waco and Ascension Seton, which includes Dell Children’s Medical Center, the region’s only comprehensive children’s hospital and pediatric Level I trauma center, and Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, the region’s only Level I trauma center for adults. Ascension Seton partners with Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and shares a common vision of transforming healthcare through a focus on quality and value. Serving Texas for more than 120 years, Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension is one of the leading non-profit and Catholic health systems in the U.S., operating 2,600 sites of care – including 139 hospitals and more than 40 senior living facilities – in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Visit www.ascension.org and www.dellchildrens.net.