Our Approach
SCPC's Philosophy on Accreditation
Accreditation brings together diverse medical specialties, such as EMS, emergency medicine, and cardiology; clinicians and administrators; doctors and nurses; lawyers; architects and quality improvement professionals. It improves the clinical processes for the early assessment, diagnosis and treatment of ACS and HF within facilities.
Accredited hospitals achieved a higher level of expertise in dealing with patients who arrive with symptoms of a heart attack.
Accreditation:
- Emphasizes standardized diagnostic and treatment programs
- Provides more efficient and effective evaluation
- Assists rapid treatment of patients with chest pain and other heart attack symptoms
- Serves as a point of entry into the healthcare system to evaluate and treat other medical problems
- Promotes a healthier lifestyle
- Reduces the risk factors for heart attack
Benefits of Accreditation:
- Financial benefits are twofold: Increased volume leads to increased revenue; and Medicare payments to accredited hospitals are maintained due to appropriate patient status placement.
- Accreditation is associated with better performance of CMS core measures for the ACS and HF patient.
- Establishes facilities' commitment to higher standards and gives them a competitive edge
- Provides processes for timely and accurate diagnosis and treatment
- Defines risk stratification to ensure appropriate placement of patients based on clinical presentation and initial response to treatment
- Reduces the liability of missed heart attacks through a consistent approach to risk stratification of the ACS patient
- Integrating EMS reduces D2B times
- Streamlines cross-departmental processes and creates a team approach to treatment
- Helps facilities identify gaps, measure results, and revise current processes
- Collects metrics to ensure that processes meet clinical and financial goals
- Decreases length of stay and improves the bottom line
- Avoids costs of frequent HF readmissions
- Helps facilities avoid Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) issues by developing a plan to link quality patient care with RAC strategies, including improved documentation, better risk stratification, and improved processes.