UNC Health Johnston earns vascular testing accreditation

Submitted by UNC HEALTH JOHNSTON

SMITHFIELD — UNC Health Johnston recently earned a three-year term of accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission in vascular testing in the areas of peripheral arterial testing, extracranial cerebrovascular testing and peripheral venous testing.

“This distinction is our seal of approval that patients can be assured we provide the highest level of patient care and quality,” said Shelby Holt, director of cardiovascular and pulmonary services. “I’m so proud of our teams in Smithfield and Clayton and their commitment to continuous improvement.”

Physicians use vascular testing to detect life threatening heart disorders, stroke and other diseases. In fact, cardiovascular diseases are the number one killer in the country. It’s estimated that every 34 seconds, an American dies of disorders of the heart and blood vessels.

Many factors contribute to an accurate diagnosis based on vascular testing. The training and experience of the technologist performing the procedure, the type of equipment used and the quality assessment metrics every testing site is required to measure.

“I applaud our department for achieving the IAC accreditation,” said Dr. Thomas Powell, a vascular surgeon and vascular medical director. “It reflects the exceptional work the teams do every day, and their desire to have the best possible patient outcomes.”

Accreditation by the IAC shows the cardiovascular team has undergone an intensive application and review process and found compliant with published standards.

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 hospitals to be assessed, including representative case studies and their corresponding final reports.