CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial Lufkin Recognized by American College of Cardiology with "HeartCARE C

LUFKIN, Texas, Jan. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The American College of Cardiology has recognized CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial Lufkin for its demonstrated commitment to providing comprehensive, high-quality, patient centered cardiovascular care with designation as a HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence.

CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial is the 2nd hospital in the state of Texas and the 9th in the nation to receive the American College of Cardiology's most prestigious designation as a HeartCARE Center™, National Distinction of Excellence. With this designation, CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial is now the highest accredited nationally recognized cardiovascular program in the region.

"To be designated by the ACC as a HeartCARE Center, National Distinction of Excellence is a tremendous honor and achievement for health care in deep East Texas," said Ravinder Bachireddy, M.D., FACC, Chief of Cardiology at CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial and ACC Cardiovascular Champion.  "Thanks to the excellent efforts and commitments of our physicians, nurses and support services, CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial is one step closer to beating heart disease in deep East Texas."

"We are the first in the Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) system to earn this honor, and it is evidence of the great strides our team has made and will continue to make for our community," said Monte Bostwick, President and CEO of CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial.  "This is a testament to the great collaboration and commitment of The Heart Institute of East Texas cardiologists and CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial."

Over the past several years, the hospital has placed a major focus on providing the very best cardiovascular care by purchasing the latest, most innovative technology, recruiting highly trained physicians and clinical staff, and enhancing overall quality.

"This designation is the result of a process developing collaborative efforts with nursing staff, ER, Cath Lab staff and physicians," said M. Musa Khan, M.D., FACC, Chief of Staff at CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial Lufkin and Medical Director of the CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial Cath Lab. "We have built a program which exemplifies a culture of patient safety and excellence."

In order to earn the ACC HeartCARE Center designation, CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial had to meet a specific set of criteria, including targeted quality improvement campaigns. The hospital was considered for the designation because of its accredited Chest Pain and Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, along with the advancement and quality focus in the Cardiac Cath Lab, Electrophysiology Lab and Heart Failure program. The hospital also participated in numerous registries, which are powerful tools used by healthcare organizations across the nation to track and manage quality measures. There are dozens of standards that must be met in order to achieve the HeartCARE designation. Examples include improving re-admission and mortality rates, tracking the time it takes for a patient to receive certain tests or medications and how long it takes for a patient to be prepped for any necessary interventional procedures or cardiovascular surgery.

"Our team stays with the patient throughout the entire experience. Any cardiovascular event can be daunting. We think it's important our patients can remain here-closer to their loved ones- for their treatment and recovery. The staff at CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial is proud that we can be a part of that support system," Bostwick said.

From the moment someone experiences chest pain until graduating from a personalized cardiac rehabilitation program, CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial provides a continuum of award-winning quality heart care.

"CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial Lufkin has demonstrated its commitment to providing deep East Texas with excellent heart care," Phillip D. Levy, MD, FACC, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board said.  "ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award CHI St Luke's Health-Memorial Lufkin with the HeartCARE Center designation."

CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial Lufkin and other hospitals accredited as HeartCARE Centers are recognized as champions in providing their community world-class patient care through a sustainable quality improvement program.

About CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial
CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial, part of a national nonprofit health system, provides more than a quarter of a million patient services and millions of dollars in local charity care and community support each year.  With hospitals in Lufkin, Livingston and San Augustine, Memorial offers comprehensive, quality health care, including an off-campus emergency center and outpatient facilities and services. To learn more, visit CHIStLukesHealthMemorial.org. 

About CHI St. Luke's Health
CHI St. Luke's Health, a member of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), is comprised of three markets―CHI St. Luke's Health is home of the Texas Heart Institute (THI),  eight hospitals, eight emergency centers, Diagnostic & Treatment Center, Radiation & CyberKnife Center, and several St. Luke's Medical Group locations throughout Greater Houston; CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial (three hospitals in East Texas); and CHI St. Joseph Health (five hospitals and several St. Joseph Medical Group locations across Brazos Valley). In addition, CHI St. Luke's is a part of a joint venture agreement with Baylor College of Medicine, which encompasses Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in the Texas Medical Center.  Together, CHI St. Luke's Health, THI, and Baylor College of Medicine are transforming healthcare delivery with a mission to usher in a new era of healthcare to create healthier communities. Learn more at CHIStLukesHealth.org.

About Catholic Health Initiatives
Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) is one of the nation's largest health systems. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, CHI operates in 19 states and comprises more than 100 hospitals, including four academic medical centers and teaching hospitals; 30 critical-access facilities; community health services organizations; accredited nursing colleges; home health agencies; and other services that span the inpatient and outpatient continuum of care. Learn more at catholichealthinitiatives.org.

About the American College of Cardiology
The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its more than 52,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualification and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medication education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.

Media Contact:
Josh Snellgrove
jsnellgrove@stlukeshealth.org
713-503-0921

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SOURCE CHI St. Luke's Health

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