ACC, SCPC Merger to Improve CV Accreditation, Quality Improvement Services

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Jan 12, 2016, 03:14 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American College of Cardiology and the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care have completed a merger that will support SCPC's current accreditation services and establish a comprehensive quality improvement solution for hospitals and other facilities that combines SCPC accreditation and ACC's registry services, quality initiatives and education.

As the merger is implemented in 2016, hospitals and other facilities will be able to take advantage of improved and streamlined quality improvement services, including expanded accreditation services, to improve cardiovascular patient care. SCPC will remain in its current headquarters in Dublin, Ohio.

"This is an exciting time for the ACC and SCPC," said ACC Chief Executive Officer Shal Jacobovitz. "It presents unprecedented new opportunities to continue to reduce the data burden on hospitals, grow the scope and impact of accreditation, and most importantly continue to deliver evidence-based cardiovascular care to patients more effectively than ever before."

The ACC's more than 65 years of leadership in cardiovascular education, guideline development, clinical data registries and quality improvement, combined with SCPC's 18 years of success in accrediting more than 1,000 hospitals and other facilities to improve clinical processes for the early assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease, will ensure continued improvements in care for better outcomes and lower costs.

"This partnership leverages the strengths of both organizations and will build upon our shared goals of transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health," said SCPC Chief Executive Officer Wil Mick. "We have a lot to learn from each other, and together we can continue to make hospitals and hospital systems better to deliver evidence-based care to patients."

The Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the care and outcomes of patients worldwide with suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome, Heart Failure, and Atrial Fibrillation through innovative cross-disciplinary processes. SCPC's accreditation programs incorporate process improvement into their methodology to ensure hospitals and hospital systems work together to improve process workflows from the bottom up. For more information, visit scpc.org.

The American College of Cardiology is a 49,000-member medical society that is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more information, visit acc.org.

SOURCE American College of Cardiology