Opelousas General Health System Receives Silver Milestone Recognition from IAC for its Long-Term Commitment to the Performance and Interpretation of Quality Echocardiograms Since 1999

By achieving IAC Echocardiography accreditation for 25 years, OGHS has received a Silver Milestone Recognition for demonstrating its long-term commitment to continuously improving patient outcomes and safety. Every three-year cycle, accredited facilities undergo an intensive application and review process to re-earn accreditation, with an assessment conducted 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.

Echocardiography is used to assess different areas of the heart and can detect heart disease or signs of serious cardiovascular conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. On average, one American dies every 34 seconds of cardiovascular disease – disorders of the heart and blood vessels. IAC accreditation assesses the many factors that contribute to an accurate diagnosis based on echocardiography. The training and experience of the sonographer performing the procedure, the type of equipment used and the quality assessment metrics each facility is required to measure, all contribute to a positive patient outcome.

Patients, referring physicians and insurers look for the IAC seal of accreditation as the ‘gold standard’ in the field of echocardiography. Facilities that achieve IAC accreditation demonstrate a clear indicator that they provide a high-quality level of patient care.

“We are proud to recognize long-time accredited echocardiography facilities through the milestone recognition program. Since being incorporated in 1997 as the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL), we (now IAC Echocardiography) have helped thousands of facilities standardize their processes to provide better patient care and improved outcomes. The recognized facilities are true champions of accreditation. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to delivering safe, effective and compassionate care using accreditation as a quality metric. These facilities’ ongoing commitment to quality patient care is an example for other health care providers to follow. It is a reminder of the importance of putting patients first and striving to continuously improve the quality of care provided,” said Mary Lally, MS, CAE, CEO of the IAC.

"Opelousas General Health System is committed to the provision of quality healthcare through its strong commitment to excellence and high standards of care. We are very proud to have maintained this accreditation for 25 years. It is a testament to our dedication to those we serve," said Derrick Armand, Medical Imaging Manager.

The Impact of IAC Accreditation on Quality Patient Care in Echocardiography

Several studies have been published demonstrating the impact of IAC accreditation on patient care. Specific to echocardiography, research indicates better image quality and better adherence to guidelines related to the quantification of aortic stenosis at IAC-accredited facilities. In addition, IAC-accredited echocardiography facilities have more complete reports and are more likely to communicate pertinent examination findings and demographic information. Data demonstrates that reports from IAC-accredited facilities provide a more complete representation of the patient’s cardiac status. Visit www.intersocietal.org/research to access published abstracts and manuscripts.

About Opelousas General Health System

Since 1957, Opelousas General Health System has been dedicated to the provision of quality health care through its strong commitment and high standards. Central to the success of OGHS's commitment for excellence is the presence of an outstanding and highly qualified staff of physicians, nurses, technologists and other personnel who provide professional treatment in a caring environment. Serving as the region's referral medical center, OGHS is a 181-bed, full service medical center, and the area's most comprehensive community health care facility offering a wide range of medical specialties and state-of-the-art technology. Visit us at www.opelousasgeneral

About IAC

The IAC is a nonprofit organization in operation to evaluate and accredit facilities that provide diagnostic imaging and interventional-based procedures, thus improving the quality of patient care provided in private offices, clinics and hospitals where such services are performed. The IAC provides accreditation programs for vascular testing, echocardiography, nuclear/PET, MRI, CT/dental CT, carotid stenting, vascular interventional, cardiac electrophysiology and cardiovascular catheterization. The IAC programs for accreditation are dedicated to ensuring quality patient care and promoting health care and all support one common mission: Improving health care through accreditation®. Committed to its mission through a rigorous peer review process, the IAC has granted accreditation to more than 14,000 sites since its inception in 1991. To learn more about IAC, visit www.intersocietal.org.

Pictured from left: Derrick Armand, Medical Imagaing Manager and Chad Cormier, Medical Imaging Sonographer.