Banner Heart Hospital Earns Reaccreditation as Heart Failure Institute

MESA, Ariz. (Dec. 19, 2010) – Banner Heart Hospital in Mesa, Arizona, recently earned national reaccreditation as a Heart Failure Institute, signifying the hospital’s superior care for patients with heart failure for the second year in a row.
 
“If you’re in Arizona, Banner Heart Hospital is your destination of choice if you need heart failure treatment,” said Dr. Mark Starling, chief medical officer for Banner Heart Hospital. “As a Heart Failure Institute, the high standards of our physicians, nurses, and staff are making an impact that is resonating through the lives of patients at our hospital and soon at many other Banner facilities.”

Banner Heart Hospital became the first hospital in Arizona to be named an Accredited Heart Failure Institute in 2009, through a partnership with Tri-City Cardiology, a private-practice group in Mesa, as well as Banner Home Care and Banner Hospice.

Several Banner Health facilities across the state are in the process of becoming Accredited Heart Failure Centers, with Banner Heart Hospital set to serve as the centerpiece of the network specializing in heart failure treatment.

Heart failure is a serious condition that affects about 5.7 million people in the nation. This chronic disease contributes to 300,000 deaths each year, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
The accreditation process is modeled after well-established process improvement methods and includes a study of current practices, a gap analysis, in-depth interviews, clinical process mapping, an onsite review, and a comprehensive milestone report with specific action steps. Other benefits of accreditation include:

• Streamlined processes that improve patients’  quality of care
• A patient-focused approach to “transition planning” that takes place throughout the entire hospital stay to prepare the patient for a successful return home as well as visits to the doctor’s office
• Patient and family caregiver education that enables individuals to participate in their own care, giving them more independence and avoiding frequent hospitalization

Banner Heart Hospital is one of the largest free-standing heart hospitals in the nation. It is the only Nationally Accredited Heart Failure Institute in Arizona and one of the first in the nation. Services at Banner Heart Hospital include open heart surgery, diagnosis, heart failure and heart rhythm treatment, and rehabilitation.