| December 18, 2009 – The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium announced today that The University of Kansas Hospital has become the first accredited heart failure institute in Kansas and Missouri and ninth in the United States. “The Heart Failure Accreditation brings quality and process improvement to the care of our heart failure patients, and in turn has positive effects on patient outcomes,” said William Reed, M.D., chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Diseases at The University of Kansas Hospital. “By receiving accreditation, our hospital is unique and stands out in providing evidence-based care for heart failure patients with expert team members.” “The University of Kansas Hospital brings the best of both worlds to their patients,” said Tony Joseph, MD, Colloquium CEO. “Even though the heart failure program is academically strong, patients experience a healing environment much more characteristic of a community hospital.” The Colloquium’s accreditation procedure is modeled after well-established process improvement methods, which include analysis of current practices, comprehensive report, in-depth interviews, and onsite review. Accreditation indicates that the hospital is proficient in managing the disease, placing emphasis on both quantity and quality of life. The Colloquium’s approach requires continual improvement to maintain accreditation. The Domains of Heart Failure include: Community, Hospital, Clinician and Science. As an accredited heart failure institute, the University of Kansas fulfilled a minimum of twelve specific milestones addressing both inpatient and outpatient care. Unlike other accreditations, heart failure institutes are evaluated by the Colloquium annually and are required to fulfill additional milestones to maintain accreditation. Colloquium site reviewers said they were positively impressed by the hospital’s enthusiasm and strong desire to make a difference in heart failure care in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area as well as regionally. The University of Kansas Hospital is a nationally recognized leader in heart care, with a program ranked 35th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. For more information about the University of Kansas Hospital, visit www.kumed.com/. |