Echocardiography Lab at Prairie Heart Institute at HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital

(EFFINGHAM, IL) – Prairie Heart Institute at HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital’s Echocardiography Laboratory has attained recognition for its commitment to providing a high level of patient care and quality testing for the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. The facility has been granted a three-year term of accreditation by Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in Echocardiography in the area(s) of Adult Transthoracic.
 
Echocardiography is used to assess different areas of the heart and can detect heart disease or signs of serious cardiovascular conditions. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, followed closely by stroke as the fourth highest cause of death. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), more than 2,150 Americans die each day from cardiovascular disease which amounts to about one every 40 seconds.
 
"There are many factors involved when it comes to providing high quality echocardiographic studies for our patients" says Jessica Prange, MD, cardiologist with Prairie Cardiovascular and medical director of the echocardiography lab at HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital. "We have worked very hard to ensure the highest level of training and expertise of both our cardiologists and sonographers here at St. Anthony’s. Our lab is now equipped with state-of-the-art echo machines that allow our patients access to cutting-edge technology right here close to home.”  IAC accreditation is a “seal of approval” that patients can rely on as an indicator of consistent quality care and a commitment to continuous improvement.
 
Accreditation by the IAC means that St. Anthony's echocardiography lab has undergone an intensive application and review process and is found to be in compliance with the published Standards, thus demonstrating a commitment to quality patient care in echocardiography. Comprised of a detailed self-evaluation followed by a thorough review by a panel of medical experts, the IAC accreditation process enables both the critical operational and technical components of the applicant facility to be assessed, including representative case studies and their corresponding final reports.

IAC accreditation is widely respected in the medical community, as illustrated by the support of the national medical societies related to echocardiography, which include physicians and sonographers. IAC Echocardiography is supported by the following organizations while operating independently of their activities: American Society of Echocardiography (ASE); Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS); and Society of Pediatric Echocardiography (SOPE).  When scheduling an echocardiography procedure, patients are encouraged to research the accreditation status of the facility and can learn more by visiting intersocietal.org/echo/main/patients.htm