Heart and Vascular Center earns Gold Seal for VAD therapy

University of Iowa Heart and Vascular Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ for its ventricular assist device destination therapy program by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care.

The certification recognizes the center’s dedication to continuous compliance with The Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards.

UI Heart and Vascular Center underwent a rigorous on-site review in which an expert Joint Commission reviewer evaluated the center for compliance with the requirements for the commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification program as well as ventricular assist device destination therapy-specific standards, clinical practice guidelines, and performance measures.

“In achieving Joint Commission advanced certification, UI Heart and Vascular Center has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its ventricular assist device patients,” said Patrick Phelan, executive director, Hospital Business Development for The Joint Commission. “Certification is a voluntary process, and I commend UI Heart and Vascular Center for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”

“Having The Joint Commission’s certification helps put UI Heart and Vascular Center at the top of the list and provides us a framework to take us to the next level,” says Jay K. Bhama, MD, former section chief of adult cardiac surgery for the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and director of the ECMO and perfusion programs at UI Heart and Vascular Center.

“Achieving Joint Commission advanced certification in ventricular assist device destination therapy, for our organization, is a major step toward maintaining excellence and continually improving the care we provide,” he adds.

The Joint Commission’s Advanced Certification in Ventricular Assist Device Destination Therapy, developed in response to Medicare requirements, provides standards for hospitals related to:  

• Staffing and facility infrastructure to support ventricular assist device placements 
• Participation in a national, audited registry for patients who have received mechanically assisted circulatory support devices
• Volume requirements for board certified cardiac surgeons who place ventricular assist devices