Percutaneous coronary intervention is also known as coronary angioplasty. It is a non-surgical procedure that opens narrowed or blocked coronary arteries with a balloon and/or stent to relieve symptoms of heart disease or reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack.
“Our cath lab team has a level of experience and expertise that rivals any hospital in New England,” says Dr. James Waters, Medical Director of the Heart and Vascular Center (HVC). “Residents of the Merrimack Valley can have confidence that the best possible care for heart attacks is close to home.”
Lowell General was awarded Cardiac Cath Lab with PCI Accreditation on August 24th, 2020 based on a rigorous evaluation of the staff’s ability to assess, diagnose and treat patients who come to the HVC.
The accreditation program requires exceptional competency in how to treat patients using standardized processes to assure quality care and patient safety. These processes follow patients from prescreening through discharge including follow-up calls to assure a complete understanding of disease processes, site management and medication adherence.
“Lowell General Hospital has demonstrated its commitment to providing the Merrimack Valley with excellent heart care,” said Phillip D. Levy, MD, FACC, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board.
Hospitals receiving Cardiac Cath Lab Accreditation from the ACC must take part in a multi-faceted clinical process that involves: completing a gap analysis; examining variances of care; developing an action plan; a rigorous onsite review; and monitoring for sustained success.
Improved methods and strategies of caring for patients include streamlining processes, implementing guidelines and standards and adopting best practices in the care of cath lab patients. Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria and have organized a team of doctors, nurses, clinicians and other administrative staff that earnestly support the efforts leading to improved patient outcomes.
