The American College of Cardiology has recognized Lawrence General Hospital for its demonstrated commitment to comprehensive, high-quality cardiovascular care. Lawrence General Hospital was awarded the HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence in June based on meeting accreditation criteria, and through their ongoing performance registry reporting.
This is the eighth consecutive year Lawrence General Hospital has earned an ACC HeartCARE Center distinction from Accreditation Services. In 2018, Lawrence General was one of the first four hospitals in the country to receive the HeartCARE distinction from the American College of Cardiology when the award was first established.
Hospitals and health systems that have earned an ACC HeartCARE Center designation have met a set of criteria, including participating in at least two ACC Accreditation Services programs, NCDR registries, and targeted quality improvement campaigns, such as Patient Navigator Program: Focus MI, that are designed to help hospitals and institutions close gaps in guideline-based care.
“We are proud to have received this distinction for the eighth consecutive year,” said Karen Costigan, director of cardiovascular services at Lawrence General Hospital. “This recognition reflects our professional excellence and the unwavering dedication by our teams to serving our communities with outstanding heart care.”
Hospitals receiving the HeartCARE Center designation from the ACC have demonstrated their commitment to consistent, high-quality cardiovascular care through comprehensive process improvement, disease and procedure-specific accreditation, professional excellence, and community engagement.
“Lawrence General Hospital has demonstrated its commitment to providing the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire with excellent heart care,” said Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, FACC, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board. “ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award Lawrence General with the HeartCARE Center designation.”
Lawrence General has proven to be a forward-thinking institution with goals to advance the cause of sustainable quality improvement, said the ACC.
In 2013, Lawrence General was the first community hospital in the United States without on-site cardiac surgery to achieve Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE) for cardiac catheterization; the hospital was reaccredited in 2015.
Lawrence General also currently holds the following accreditations from the American College of Cardiology: Cardiac Cath Lab with PCI Accreditation; Chest Pain Accreditation with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; and Heart Failure Accreditation.