Texas' First Accredited Pediatric Heart Failure Institute Is Texas Children's Hospital

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The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium

Dec 19, 2013, 08:35 ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium announced today that Texas Children's Hospital has earned the designation of Accredited Pediatric Heart Failure Institute following twelve months of work and an extensive onsite review.

"The approach to heart failure at Texas Children's Hospital is one of the broadest ranging comprehensive programs in the U.S.," said Dr. Frank Smart, Colloquium Board Chair. "They care for the sickest children daily, yet remain committed to breakthrough research that has the potential to change medicine for everyone."

The heart failure leadership team at Texas Children's Hospital worked in four domains to achieve heart failure accreditation: The Community, Hospital, Clinician, and Science. In the community their preventative screening program for sudden cardiac arrest in young people was especially notable. The hospital itself is an integrated small city where pediatric patients can actually go to an accredited classroom for their schooling while on ventricular assist devices and after heart transplantation. In the Clinician Domain, physician and nurse education is part of the institutional culture. Novel approaches to practical applications of science are everywhere. One example is the "Just in Time" scenario room where world-class clinicians can come together and practice possible clinical scenarios to prepare themselves anticipating emergencies before they take place.

"The Colloquium is about bringing together experts to improve heart failure care for children across the entire continuum of care," said Dr. Daniel J. Penny, chief of cardiology at Texas Children's Hospital. "We are delighted that Texas Children's is a recognized member of this expert group. We look forward to working with The Colloquium wherever children with heart failure have a need."

The Colloquium is the first organization to develop an improvement science based approach to pediatric heart failure accreditation. Member hospitals conduct the site visits following the guidelines developed by all member hospitals, making the Colloquium's approach to accreditation unique in America. The site reviewers were Frank W. Smart, MD, FACC, (Colloquium Board Chair) and Sonja H. Dahl, DNP, RN, CPNP, (Heart Failure Leadership Team Coordinator at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota).

About Texas Children's Hospital

Texas Children's Hospital, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to creating a community of healthy children through excellence in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation, Texas Children's has recognized Centers of Excellence in multiple pediatric subspecialties including the Cancer and Heart Centers, and operates the largest primary pediatric care network in the country. Texas Children's has completed a $1.5 billion expansion, which includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; and Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston. For more information: www.texaschildrens.org.

Learn about heart care for children at: http://texaschildrens.org/heart/

About The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium

As a hospital membership organization, the Colloquium enjoys a wide range of member hospitals with a common shared passion: pre-eminence in caring for those with heart failure. Starting with the individual and using a relationship care model, member hospitals work together to identify what is important throughout the entire continuum of care. The Colloquium's approach to improvement includes traditional process improvement approaches but also embraces the cultural change needed to navigate uncertain times faced by today's leaders.

Visit http://colloquiumhealth.com/

Contact: Tony Joseph, MD
Chief Executive Officer
The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium
3040 Riverside Drive, Suite 219
Columbus, Ohio 43221
614.545.3800

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