Children’s Hospital Earns Pediatric Echocardiography Accreditation by IAC

Children’s Hospital New Orleans has been granted a three-year term of accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in Echocardiography in the area(s) of Pediatric Transesophageal, Fetal, and Pediatric Transthoracic at the hospital’s main campus. In addition, Children’s Hospital’s Denham Springs and Northshore Centers have both been granted a three-year term of accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in Echocardiography in the area of Pediatric Transthoracic.

“IAC accreditation is a seal of approval that patients and families can rely on as an indicator of consistent quality care and a dedication to continuous improvement,” says John R. Nickens IV, President and Chief Executive of Children’s Hospital. “This accreditation reflects our commitment to providing the highest quality heart care for kids across our state and region.”

A noninvasive ultrasound study called an echocardiogram is commonly used to evaluate heart structure and function. Each year more than 35,000 infants in the United States are born with congenital heart defects, making it the most common type of birth defect. It is also the most critical, as congenital heart defects cause more deaths during the first year of life than any other birth defect. Over the past few decades, however, diagnosis and treatment have improved, allowing almost all affected children to not only grow into adulthood, but to thrive.

There are many factors that contribute to the accurate diagnosis based on echocardiography. The training and experience of the sonographer performing the procedure, the type of equipment used and the quality assessment metrics each facility is required to measure, all contribute to a positive patient outcome.

Accreditation by the IAC indicates that Children’s Hospital has undergone an intensive application and review process and is found to be in compliance with the published Standards, thus demonstrating a commitment to quality patient care in echocardiography. Comprised of a detailed self-evaluation followed by a thorough review by a panel of medical experts, the IAC accreditation process enables both the critical operational and technical components of the applicant facility to be assessed, including representative case studies and their corresponding final reports.

About IAC

IAC provides accreditation programs for vascular testing, echocardiography, nuclear/PET, MRI, diagnostic CT, dental CT, carotid stenting, vein treatment and management and cardiac electrophysiology. The IAC programs for accreditation are dedicated to ensuring quality patient care and promoting health care and all support one common mission: Improving health care through accreditation®. IAC accreditation is widely respected in the medical community, as illustrated by the support of the national medical societies related to echocardiography, which include physicians and sonographers. To date, the IAC accrediting divisions have granted accreditation to more than 14,000 sites throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.