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Hospital Headlines
The American College of Cardiology, or ACC, has recognized Boone Health for its demonstrated expertise and commitment in treating patients for transcatheter valve repair and replacement procedures. Boone Hospital Center was awarded transcatheter valve certification in January, making it the only hospital in Missouri to achieve this recognition.
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Transcatheter aortic valve replacement, also called TAVR, is a minimally invasive procedure to treat aortic valve stenosis. TAVR may be an option for patients who would be at risk for complications from open-heart surgery. Boone Hospital Center first began offering TAVR in 2017.
The ACC’s Transcatheter Valve Certification uses an external review and certification process, using established national clinical databases to monitor patient safety and outcomes during and after TAVR procedures. The review includes evaluation of the hospital’s ability to meet standards for multidisciplinary teams, formalized training, shared decision-making and registry performance.
“Boone Health has demonstrated its commitment to providing mid-Missouri with excellent heart care,” says Phillip D. Levy, MD, MPH, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board. “ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award Boone Health with transcatheter valve certification.”
Hospitals that achieve transcatheter valve certification learn best practices in evidence-based medicine to support patient-centered decision making and can track key performance metrics to better identify opportunities for improvement.
“We are proud of our Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery Service Line and our ability to achieve the high standards set forth by the ACC for this certification. The fact that we are the only hospital in Missouri that has been granted this certification speaks volumes to the dedication of our staff and physicians in providing our patients with the best outcomes,” says Amy Begemann, Boone Hospital Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery Service Line Director.
The ACC offers U.S. and international hospitals access to a comprehensive suite of cardiac accreditation services designed to improve patient outcomes and hospital financial performance for all aspects of cardiac care.
Automated Chemistry Line — Laboratory
In 2019, the laboratory started a $2.2 million project to upgrade their main chemistry analyzers and automation line. In January, the laboratory officially completed this project! The combination of new analyzers and a fully automated robotics line has improved Boone’s ability to respond to the significant increases in laboratory testing. In just the past two years, Boone has grown overall lab volumes by 26% and outpatient lab volumes by over 45%. Boone Hospital Laboratory has partnered with Roche Diagnostics for over 25 years to provide the latest technology and innovation when it comes to the clinical laboratory.
The Boone County Medical Society has selected Robin Blount, MD, Boone Health Chief Medical Officer, as their 2020 Distinguished Physician of the Year for her dedicated service to medicine and to her community, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Boone County Medical Society, or BCMS, supports physicians in Boone, Howard and Cooper counties and their efforts to provide high quality, patient-centered care.
According to BCMS, “Dr. Blount's current position at Boone Hospital Center has given her a community leadership role which has enhanced medicine in central Missouri. She has been a strong participant in the Boone County Medical Society webinars, giving valuable information to our medical community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she has sat on numerous planning committees for not only her hospital, but also for the city of Columbia and for Boone County.”
Dr. Blount has practiced as a physician in Boone County for over 30 years. She attended medical school and completed her internal medicine residency and an infectious disease fellowship at MU.
As a private practitioner, Dr. Blount has worked at both Boone Hospital Center and Columbia Regional Hospital and held multiple leadership positions on each hospital’s medical staff. She left private practice to become Boone Hospital’s Chief Medical Officer in summer 2015.
Dr. Blount’s complete 2020 Distinguished Physician of the Year profile is available on the BCMS website at boonecountymedicalsociety.org
