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October 29, 2009 – The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium announced today that Lutheran Hospital of Indiana has become the eighth accredited heart failure institute in the United States.
“Although the process to become an accredited heart failure institute is relatively new, Lutheran has been laying the foundation for decades,” said Tony Joseph, MD, Colloquium CEO. “In addition to heart transplant services, Lutheran’s heart failure program is so strong that they attract substantial research even though they have the ‘feel’ of a community hospital. Lutheran’s patients have access to treatments generally reserved for larger academic facilities.”
The Colloquium’s novel approach requires ongoing work to maintain accreditation. Starting with the relationship between the patient and caregiver, accredited heart failure institutes must meet specific milestones that address both inpatient and outpatient care. Unlike other accreditations, heart failure institutes are evaluated by the Colloquium annually.
“This accreditation says a lot about what we’ve been able to accomplish in the past for heart failure patients, but it is also a call to action,” said cardiologist Mark Jones, MD, heart failure physician champion at Lutheran Hospital. “The Colloquium demands that we continue to improve. That is a philosophy we have always chosen to embrace.”
Colloquium member hospitals work together to improve heart failure care by:
- Sharing best practices
- Implementing a heart failure leadership team
- Applying process-improvement methods
“Lutheran is committed to providing world class heart care, and we have demonstrated that by meeting the high standards established by the Colloquium,” said Joe Dorko, CEO, Lutheran Hospital. “Lutheran is the region’s only certified transplant center. Now we are one of only eight heart failure institutes in the country. We are proud of the fact that all of these are examples of independent organizations validating the hard work done on behalf of our patients.”
Elaine Greer is an advanced practice nurse at Colloquium member Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, and served on the team that visited Lutheran in September. “Lutheran is an impressive organization committed to its patients and community,” said Greer. “As a site reviewer, it was a pleasure to work with such a dedicated group of professionals.”
For more information on the Lutheran Hospital of Indiana, visit www.lutheranhospital.com/.
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