ATLANTIC GENERAL HOSPITAL VASCULAR LABORATORY EARNS VASCULAR TESTING RE-ACCREDITATION BY THE IAC

Berlin, Md. — Early detection of life threatening heart disorders, stroke and other diseases is possible through the use of vascular testing procedures performed within hospitals, outpatient centers and physicians’ offices.

Cardiovascular diseases are the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. On average, one American dies every 39 seconds of cardiovascular disease – disorders of the heart and blood vessels. Stroke, a disorder of the blood supply to the brain, is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in the country, with nearly 800,000 new strokes occurring annually.

There are many factors that contribute to an accurate diagnosis based on vascular testing. The training and experience of the technologist 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. IAC accreditation is a “seal of approval” that patients can rely on as an indicator of consistent quality care and a dedication to continuous improvement.

Atlantic General Hospital Vascular Laboratory, located in Berlin, Md., has been granted a three-year term of accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in Vascular Testing in the area(s) of Peripheral Arterial Testing, Peripheral Venous Testing, and Extracranial Cerebrovascular Testing.

This latest accreditation awarded to Atlantic General Hospital Vascular Laboratory demonstrates the facility’s ongoing commitment to providing quality patient care in vascular testing.

Accreditation by the IAC indicates that Atlantic General Hospital Vascular Laboratory has undergone an intensive application and review process and is found to be in compliance with the published Standards thus demonstrating a commitment to quality patient care in vascular testing.

Comprised of a detailed self-evaluation followed by a thorough review 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.

“All ultrasound staff at the Atlantic General Hospital Vascular Lab are registered vascular technologists with specialized vascular training. They are held to strict continuing medical education requirements, keeping them current with the most up-to-date standards. They are part of the vascular team, along with our radiologists,” said Jill Todd, lead ultrasound technologist at Atlantic General. “Vascular exams can help reveal blocked or reduced blood flow in arteries and veins and assist with identifying problems that could potentially lead to issues such as stroke, poor arterial circulation in the extremities, or deep vein thrombosis (DVT), among other problems.”

About Atlantic General Hospital
Atlantic General Hospital, a designated primary stroke center, has been providing quality health care to the residents of Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset (Md.) and Sussex (Del.) counties since May 1993. Built through the commitment and generosity of a dedicated community, Atlantic General’s main facility in Berlin, Md., combines the warmth of personalized attention with the reassurance of medical expertise and advanced technology. The not-for-profit hospital provides quality specialty care in oncology, medical and surgical weight loss, orthopedics, and women’s diagnostics among other services. Atlantic General Health System, its network of more than 40 primary care providers and specialists, cares for residents and visitors throughout the region. For more information about Atlantic General Hospital, visit www.atlanticgeneral.org.

About IAC

IAC provides accreditation programs for vascular testing, echocardiography, nuclear/PET, MRI, diagnostic CT, dental CT, carotid stenting, vein treatment and management and cardiac electrophysiology. 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®. IAC accreditation is widely respected in the medical community, as illustrated by the support of the national medical societies related to vascular testing, which include physicians, sonographers and technologists. To date, the IAC accrediting divisions have granted accreditation to more than 14,000 sites throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

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