Tuesday, November 10, 2015

The Medical City Receives International Certification for its Heart Attack Program


Premier health institution The Medical City (TMC) is the first hospital in the Philippines to receive a certification from Joint Commission International (JCI) for its Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) program. JCI, the world’s most prestigious accrediting body for health care organizations, launched its Clinical Care Program Certification in 2002, the first international program of its kind to certify disease management programs. To earn this distinction, a clinical care program such as the AMI undergoes an extensive on-site evaluation by a JCI reviewer. The JCI Clinical Care Program Certification is designed to provide a comprehensive evaluation program that can support healthcare providers in improving the safety and quality of their services.

“It is with great pleasure that I inform you of the decision to grant certification to The Medical City Acute Myocardial Infarction Program. Congratulations to you, and all the other leaders and staff of The Medical City AMI Program in achieving this recognition of your commitment to provide quality care on an ongoing basis,” said Paul Chang, MD, MBA, MPH, CPHQ, FACHE, Vice President, Accreditation, Standards, and Measurement, Joint Commission International.

TMC also earned its fourth JCI’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Hospital Accreditation following a rigorous on-site survey on September 14 to 18, 2015. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.

TMC was first accredited by JCI, the world’s most prestigious accrediting body for health care organizations, in 2006 and again in 2009 and 2012.

The JCI certification granted for TMC’s AMI program allows the health institution to highlight its exceptional clinical care program that provides patients with the highest quality of care based on the most recent medical evidence from Clinical Practice Guidelines from both local and international scientific societies involved in the care of cardiac patients.

AMI is the medical term for heart attack. The TMC Cardiovascular Center has an AMI program which targets a 90 minute or less Door-to-Balloon time. This means that a heart attack patient who walks through the doors of the hospital’s Emergency Department should have the blocked coronary artery opened in the Catheterization Laboratory (Cath Lab) within 90 minutes.

TMC’s expanded Cath Lab capacity and experienced and highly competent interventional cardiologists and support staff who are trained to handle such complex cases, ensure the successful implementation of the AMI program giving patients the best possible and the most timely cardiac care.

Every facet of care for the hospital’s heart attack patients was surveyed. The review looked at the Cardiovascular Center’s Rapid Response program for heart attack patients in the ER, the measures and improvements made over the past years to facilitate the quick and effective management of these patients, and the programs instituted to make sure they get optimal medical care.

The JCI surveyor also reviewed the actual outcomes of heart attack patients with respect to survival and quality of life to make sure these are within accepted international standards.

“A Heart Attack is a true emergency. Survival depends a lot on the best care, including timely intervention in the catheterization laboratory to open up an occluded coronary artery, and optimal medical care, nutritional advice, and cardiac rehabilitation,” said Dr. Gregorio Martinez, Jr., Head of the Cardiac and Vascular Catheterization Laboratory and the Cardiovascular Center.

“We at the The Medical City Cardiovascular Center are proud to be the first institution in the country to have an Acute Myocardial Infarction Program certified by the JCI,” added Dr. Martinez. Dr. Paolo Prado, AMI program director, says recovery from heart attack is also an integral part of the program.

During the patient’s recovery period, he will receive help and support from a range of health care professionals, which may include nurses, physiotherapists, nutritionists, pharmacists, and cardiac rehab specialists.“Patients who have had a heart attack should be referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program,” adds Dr. Prado.

Cardiac rehabilitation or cardiac rehab is a medically supervised program that helps patients recover from heart attack as well as improves the health and well-being of people who have heart problems. A rehab program usually includes exercise training, education on heart-healthy living, and counseling aimed at reducing stress and living a healthy lifestyle.




To know more about the AMI program or related services of The Medical City Cardiovascular Center, please call 988100 or 9887000 ext. 6314.

**This is Press Release

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