SBUMC HEART CENTER ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY LABORATORY ACHIEVES TRIFECTA IN ACCREDITATION DESIGNATION
Lab Accredited in Transthoracic, Transesophogeal and Stress through March 2010
STONY BROOK, NY, July 26, 2007 – Under the leadership of Smadar Kort, M.D., FACC, FASE, Director of Cardiovascular Imaging and Director of the Echocardiography Laboratory, The Heart Center at Stony Brook University Medical Center (SBUMC) has achieved the trifecta in accreditation by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL) to include Adult Transthoracic, Adult Transesophageal, and Adult Stress.
Accreditation status signifies that the Heart Center has been reviewed by an independent agency which recognizes Stony Brook’s commitment to quality testing for the diagnosis of heart disease. The designation was issued after an independent review of the Echo Labs in all three Heart Center locations: Level 5 of the Hospital, the Echocardiography Laboratory in Islandia and the Echocardiography Laboratory in Tech Park. It is effective through March 2010.
Echocardiography is a complex imaging technique that relies on the experience and training of both the physician and sonographer. Their interpretive and technical abilities determine the diagnostic accuracy of an echocardiographic examination. ICAEL has developed an accreditation program, which evaluates the quality of these and other critical elements of an echocardiography center.
“I am extremely proud that the echocardiography laboratory at Stony Brook University Medical Center’s Heart Center has been accredited in all three possible categories . ” said Dr. Kort. “This is the first time that our lab has been accredited in Adult Transesophageal, as well as in Adult Stress, and that is a rigorous review process. In addition, we were able to achieve reaccreditation of all three sites (Stony Brook University Medical Center, Tech Park and Islandia) in Adult Transthoracic Echocardiography. I congratulate the staff in the echo laboratories, and am grateful for the support from Dr. David Brown and Dr. Todd Rosengart, co-directors of the Heart Center. Their support helped us achieve this goal.”
One American dies every 32 seconds of cardiovascular disease, disorders of the heart and blood vessels. It is the leading cause of death in the US. Cardiac structure and flow information provided by echocardiographic testing is useful in the detection and management of many types of heart disease. This non-invasive test has become one of the standard diagnostic tools in cardiology with an estimated 10 million echocardiograms performed annually in the United States.
ICAEL is a nonprofit organization, established with the support of the American Society of Echocardiography, the American College of Cardiology and the Society of Pediatric Echocardiography. It is designed to help laboratories attain the highest possible imaging quality to improve patient care.
For more information on the Division of Cardiology at Stony Brook University Medical Center, call HealthConnect at (631) 444-4000 or go to http://www.hsc.stonybrook.edu/som/internalmed/cardiology/.
