Piedmont Athens Regional announces that it has received a Cardiac Center of Excellence Designation from DNV, affirming the hospital’s facilities and services meet or exceed standards of care in the complex specialty of cardiac programs. Piedmont Athens is the second hospital in the country to receive this designation and the first to be named a center of excellence in chest pain, heart failure, and extracorporeal life support (ECLS) services.

“This designation lets our community know that we have the resources and commitment to provide the best possible cardiovascular care,” says Piedmont Athens Regional CEO Michael Burnett. “It’s a combination of the right personnel, training, and equipment to provide the best possible diagnostic services, surgical services, and therapies related to cardiovascular care. Achieving certification validates the tremendous effort we have put into this program, ensuring the health and safety of our patients.”

The Cardiac Center of Excellence Designation is obtained by achieving certification in at least three (3) cardiac service line programs: Chest Pain Program Certification, Heart Failure Program Certification, Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) Program Certification, and/or Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Program Credentialing. The requirements set forth by DNV are based on the cardiovascular requirements, guidelines, recommendations, and evidence-based, professionally recognized standards of practice. The combined survey focuses on processes across the continuum of care that contribute to positive outcomes and support performance improvement.

 “Achieving certification shows a commitment to excellence,” says Kelly Proctor, President of DNV Healthcare USA Inc. “It helps demonstrate to your community that you are providing the highest level of care that this hospital is designed to offer.”

DNV Surveys with qualified DNV surveyors with specific backgrounds, training, and current experiences in delivering cardiac services and technical experts with discipline experience also participate in VAD and ECLS survey activity. DNV cardiac-based certification standards allow flexibility in program design, delivery, and monitoring/measuring of cardiac processes. The DNV certification requirements are aligned with NIAHO and ISO 9001. The Cardiac Center of Excellence designation survey verifies programmatic alignment with the organization’s required Quality Management System.

Over the past four years, Piedmont Athens Regional has dedicated tremendous resources to building a comprehensive cardiac care program for the Northeast Georgia region. During that time, the hospital earned separate cardiac care certifications in chest pain and heart failure, being the second and third organization in the country to earn those particular designations from DNV. Adding the ECLS designation demonstrates the hospital’s dedication to providing high-quality, safe cardiac patient care. The services provided are individually strong, but together, they have provided a true center of excellence.