Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Awarded Advanced Primary Heart Attack Center Certification from The Joint Commission
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center (LWRMC) has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Primary Heart Attack Center Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. LWRMC is the first hospital in Florida to achieve this designation.
The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality care for heart attack patients. The certification evaluates how LWRMC uses clinical outcomes and performance measures to identify opportunities to improve care, as well as to educate and prepare patients and their caregivers for leaving the hospital.
Early Heart Attack Care
“The Joint Commission certification demonstrates the collaborative efforts and commitment by our physicians and staff to provide excellence in our cardiovascular program,” says Andy Guz, Chief Executive Officer at LWRMC. “This designation should assure the public that our cardiac program provides people experiencing a heart attack with the fast, evidence-based care to help achieve a positive outcome."
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center underwent a rigorous onsite review in September 2022. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification, which included implementation of a system of care for all time-sensitive cardiovascular disorders to minimize delays in patient care, emergency medical services routing protocols to transport patients, emergency department care and management, procedural interventions such as cardiac catheterization, post-intervention/operative care, discharge and rehabilitation.
“Advanced Primary Heart Attack Center Certification recognizes healthcare organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, Chief Operating Officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and Chief Nursing Executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Lakewood Ranch Medical Center for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for heart attack patients.”