Northeast Georgia Center is the 1st Hospital in the World to Receive Two ACE Accreditations for Heart & Vascular Services

GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) and its Ronnie Green Heart Center are proud to announce NGMC is fully accredited for carotid artery stenting (CAS) and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) by Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE^TM).  In fact, NGMC is the:

• the first hospital in Georgia to receive any ACE accreditation

• the first hospital in the nation to receive ACE accreditation for CAS

• the first hospital in the world to receive any two ACE accreditations

“To be first in the world to receive two ACE accreditations is the ultimate testimony of our commitment to making NGMC a world-class destination for heart and vascular care,” says Carol Burrell, President and CEO of Northeast Georgia Health System.  “Congratulations to our physicians, clinical staff and regional EMS departments who ensure we provide the exceptional health care that led to this recognition.”

ACE accreditation is an in-depth, independent review of an organization’s structure, internal processes, patient safety practices and clinical outcomes to determine if they meet the standards established by experts in cardiac and endovascular care.  Facilities that undergo this voluntary and rigorous process demonstrate an exceptional commitment to providing the best possible care to patients.  ACE was created through a collaboration of The Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

NGMC’s ACE accreditation for PCI includes angioplasty and the placement of stents, which are the two most common treatments for heart attack patients.  The ACE accreditation for carotid artery stenting applies specifically to a procedure that widens narrowed portions of a patient’s neck arteries to improve or restore blood flow to the brain.  This procedure has been shown to reduce the rate of strokes in certain patients.

“These accreditations demonstrate our institutional commitment to carotid artery stenting and exemplify our accomplishments in improving heart attack and angioplasty care as efficiently as possible,” says J. Jeffrey Marshall, MD, an interventional cardiologist with Northeast Georgia Heart Center; medical director of Cardiac Cath Labs at NGMC; and President of SCAI.  “100 percent of our patients suffering severe heart attacks, known as STEMIs, receive PCI in less than 90 minutes after their arrival, which is the national benchmark.  In fact, our patients receive PCI in an average of less than 55 minutes.  You won’t find this level of accredited heart and vascular care anywhere else in Georgia.”