Orlando Regional Medical Center receives Atrial Fibrillation with Electrophysiology Services Accreditation

Atrial Fibrillation Program recognized for its expertise and commitment to quality patient care.

Orlando, Fla. (July 20, 2016) — Orlando Regional Medical Center recently received full Atrial Fibrillation with Electrophysiology Services (EPS) Accreditation status from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC). ORMC is one of only two hospitals in Florida, and the only one in Central Florida achieving the designation for its Atrial Fibrillation Program.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and has become recognized as a health concern that in some cases can lead to stroke and possible death. More than 5 million patients in the United States have atrial fibrillation and that number is rapidly increasing as our population ages.

ORMC has demonstrated its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding an array of stringent criteria and undergoing a comprehensive onsite review by an accreditation review specialist from SCPC.

“We are excited about the achievement and what it means for our patients and our program,” said Roland Filart, MD, one of the physician leaders with ORMC’s Atrial Fibrillation Program. “Our multidisciplinary team of nurses, electrophysiologists, a cardiovascular surgeons, internal medicine and emergency care physicians, pre-hospital care system representative, pharmacists, administrators and other team members work together to review patient care processes and implement changes for continued improved outcomes. We want to ensure our patients receive optimum care through best practices, and innovative procedures and surgical options to manage atrial fibrillation.”

Education is another important aspect of the program.

“In addition to the collaboration of the multidisciplinary team and advanced treatments, education is a valuable component to ORMC’s Atrial Fibrillation Program,” said Janette Sendin, MSN, CNS, CCNS, PCCN, clinical nurse specialist, Cardiology Service Line, Atrial Fibrillation Program Coordinator. “Education is critical for our patients and our staff. We provide patients with one-on-one education about the condition, stroke prevention, patient-physician and healthcare team partnership, and creating healthy habits to reduce risk of complications associated with AFib. We also build awareness in the community through lectures. Our staff completes specialized training to provide medical care to patients with atrial fibrillation. These efforts contribute to lower readmissions, help patients manage their condition and improve quality of life.”

Atrial fibrillation patients are known to use more healthcare services and have much higher healthcare costs than non-AFib patient populations. SCPC’s accreditation helps hospitals: evaluate and manage the AFib patient more precisely, improve patient outcomes, and educate patients and healthcare providers leading to more effective and efficient disease control.

Hospitals that receive SCPC’s accreditation status employ an evidence-based, protocol-driven and systematic approach to patient management. This allows clinicians to reduce time to treatment and to better risk stratify patients while also reducing length-of-stay in the emergency department and the hospital.

By achieving SCPC’s accreditation status, ORMCdemonstrates expertise in the following areas:

• Governance – Improves performance by effectively aligning people and services.
• Community Outreach – Increases public awareness and community education initiatives; develop partnerships with primary and specialty health care providers, care facilities, local businesses, and employers; provide consultation services and support groups.
• Pre-Acute Care – Integrates out-of-hospital interventions delivered by community healthcare providers and first responders.
• Early Stabilization – Addresses immediate concerns in triage and perform initial activities related to risk assessment and stabilization.
• Acute Care – Employs a multidisciplinary, patient-centric approach from observation (or admission) through discharge to ensure an appropriate LOS and optimal patient outcome.
• Transitional Care – Prevents unnecessary re-admissions with established care coordination at discharge, including early follow-up care and patient/family education.
• Clinical Quality Measures – Measures performance and outcomes related to thromboembolic and bleeding risk assessment, cardioversion, readmission, follow-up, and others; trend performance over time; use the data to improve quality.

About Orlando Health

Orlando Health is a $2.3 billion not-for-profit health care organization and a community-based network of physician practices, hospitals, and outpatient care centers throughout Central Florida. The organization is home to the area’s only Level One Trauma Centers for adults and pediatrics and is a statutory teaching hospital system that offers both specialty and community hospitals. More than 2,000 physicians have privileges at Orlando Health, which is also one of the area’s largest employers with more than 15,000 employees who serve nearly 2 million Central Florida residents and more than 4,500 international patients annually. Additionally, Orlando Health provides nearly $235 million in support of community health needs. More information can be found at www.orlandohealth.com.

About the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care

The Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC) is an international, nonprofit organization that focuses on transforming cardiovascular care by assisting facilities in their efforts to create cardiovascular centers of excellence that deliver quality care and patient satisfaction in a cost sensitive environment. As the accreditation services arm of the American College of Cardiology, SCPC offers individual hospitals and hospital systems the support needed to effectively reduce variations of care and bridge existing gaps in treatment. Through its collaboration with actively engaged, multidisciplinary teams, SCPC is Taking Science to the Bedside™ and improving outcomes in the management of heart disease

For more information about SCPC's accreditation and certification opportunities, visit www.scpc.org, or call toll-free 1-877-271-4176.

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Sabrina Childress, Orlando Health

Media Relations & Public Affairs Manager

Phone: 321.841.8748

Email: [email protected]