Sentara Healthcare Announces Two National Recognition's for Top Level Heart Care

Sentara Healthcare is proud to announce the following two recognitions that place our heart and vascular teams among the best in the nation. 

Sentara Healthcare has been recognized by the American College of Cardiology in the "Best Hospitals" issue of U.S. News & World Report as one of the top health systems in the U.S. for providing top quality care to heart patients in 2020. Sentara is one of only 72 health systems nationwide to be included.

Several Sentara Healthcare hospitals and medical centers have also earned recognition for chest pain and heart attack care that meets the highest national standards. Given by the American College of Cardiology (ACC), The Chest Pain — MI Registry™ Performance Achievement Awards recognize hospitals that consistently provide exceptional care for people experiencing chest pain and heart attacks.

"These recognitions are a credit to our exceptional physicians and staff that continually focus on clinical quality, patient safety and customer centricity. These awards validate that our heart and vascular teams are among the best in the nation," said Howard P. Kern, president & CEO of Sentara Healthcare. "It is our mission to improve health every day by always upgrading our facilities and technology so that our exceptional staff can reliably deliver increasingly complex, highly specialized heart and vascular services."

"I am proud to be part of a team that delivers some of the most reliable and comprehensive care in the nation," said Ronald Stine, M.D., clinical chief of Sentara Cardiologist Specialists. "The heart and vascular experts across our system continue to execute innovative, and evidence-based approaches to diagnosis and treatment for heart failure, heart attack and stroke and are dedicated to setting standards of excellence and making the care and safety of our patients a top priority."

About the Recognitions:

The U.S. News & World Report issue recognizes Sentara's commitment to drive preeminent hospital care for heart patients. Through participation in the ACC's NCDR and/or Accreditation programs, Sentara informs a robust quality improvement processes using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart patients.

ACC's NCDR is cardiology's most established, comprehensive registry offering, consisting of eight hospital-based registries and two outpatient registries. Participants are committed to ensuring evidence-based cardiovascular care, improving patient outcomes and lowering health care costs. ACC Accreditation Services provides hospitals with practical resources and support to minimize gaps in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Facilities achieving an ACC accreditation are committed to establishing a method for sustainable quality improvement.

"As an ACC quality programs participant, Sentara has established itself as a leader in setting the national standard for improving quality of care in patients with cardiovascular disease," said ACC President Athena Poppas, MD, FACC. "Sentara has demonstrated a commitment to providing reliable, comprehensive treatment for heart patients based on current clinical guideline recommendations. The ACC is proud to include Sentara as one of the Best Hospitals of 2020."

Hospitals across the Sentara system participate in the ACC's Chest Pain — MI Registry™ to collect data on our care for heart attacks, also known as myocardial infarction (MI).

"The MI registry provides essential tools to measure our performance in delivering care for people experiencing a heart attack and chest pain, " said Ashford Denman, system vice president of the Sentara Cardiovascular Service Line. "Using the data, our heart care teams regularly evaluate our performance so we can continuously improve our care."

The Chest Pain — MI Registry™ Performance Achievement Awards recognize care that meets guidelines set by the ACC and the American Heart Association (AHA). At Sentara, we meet these guidelines through our commitment to:

• Quick evaluation and diagnosis: The faster we can identify a heart attack, the sooner we can begin lifesaving treatment. Within minutes of your arrival in the emergency department, we perform key diagnostic tests to look for signs of a heart attack. We also coordinate with emergency medical services (EMS) and transferring facilities so they can alert us when bringing someone with heart attack symptoms. Advance notification helps speed up the treatment process when you arrive.
• Rapid treatment: The AHA recommends treatment to open blocked heart arteries within 90 minutes of a person's arrival at the emergency room, known as door-to-balloon time. At our hospitals, our door-to-balloon times are well within that timeframe at a median of 60 minutes.
• Care based on the latest research advances: Our adherence to national guidelines for evaluation, diagnosis and treatment means that you receive care that's been proven effective. We provide the latest innovations in heart care based on rigorous medical and scientific research, much of which is done by our own physicians.
• Comprehensive range of heart care: At Sentara, our care begins with screening and prevention tips to minimize your risk for heart attack. When you come to us for care, our skilled heart teams do a thorough evaluation of your symptoms to provide an accurate diagnosis. We offer a full spectrum of treatment options, including medications, minimally invasive procedures and heart surgery. From there, you continue to see us for follow-up care that includes cardiac rehabilitation.
• Your long-term health: At discharge, our care teams send you home with everything you need for recovery. You'll receive medications, plans for follow-up care with your cardiologist and referrals to cardiac rehab. Our goals are to help you regain your health and prevent future heart problems.

Through the Chest Pain — MI Registry™ Performance Achievement Awards, the ACC recognizes the care Sentara provides for all the following conditions:

• ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most severe type of heart attack involving complete blockage of a heart artery
• Non–ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), a heart attack involving a partially blocked heart artery
• Stable angina, chest pain and shortness of breath that occur with exertion or stress
• Unstable angina, chest pain that happens anytime, even without exertion, and can progress to a heart attack

"Sentara's top-level care for patients with chest pain and heart attack means that our patients are receiving the best treatment available and are in the hands of healthcare providers dedicated to the highest national standards," said Thomas Klevan, M.D, medical director of the Sentara Cardiovascular Service Line.

Sentara Healthcare is an integrated not -for-profit organization with 12 acute care hospitals, four regional medical groups, a health plan division, and an extensive network of ambulatory medical centers in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. The Sentara Heart and Vascular Network offers some of the most innovative and technologically-advanced patient care. The strong Sentara network includes cardiac and vascular specialists throughout its integrated system and the Sentara community hospitals provide a broad range of services. The Sentara Healthcare heart and vascular program includes the nationally recognized Sentara Heart Hospital which through its innovative programs, draws patients from 49 states outside of Virginia and internationally.