Bridgeport Hospital echocardiography lab reaccredited

Bridgeport Hospital’s echocardiography laboratory has been reaccredited for a full three-year term by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) for meeting national standards of care. The reaccreditation follows a thorough review of the laboratory’s operations and technology by a panel of experts.

“IAC accreditation is a ‘seal of approval’ that patients can rely on as an indication that our Echocardiography Laboratory has been carefully critiqued on all aspects of its operations,” said Gilead Lancaster, MD, medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at Bridgeport Hospital’s Joel E. Smilow Heart Institute. “This achievement is also a reflection of the skill and dedication of our entire staff, including cardiologists and sonographers.”

This is the third reaccreditation for the Bridgeport Hospital echocardiography lab, which was one of the first labs in the nation to be recognized by the IAC.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for one death every 39 seconds, according to Dr. Lancaster. “Early detection of life-threatening heart disorders through tests such as echocardiograms can result in prompt treatment and prevent many of those deaths,” he said.

The Joel E. Smilow Heart Institute at Bridgeport Hospital has been at the forefront of advanced cardiovascular care for more than 50 years. The hospital is the site of Fairfield County’s first open-heart surgery, diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedure, balloon angioplasty and cardiac electrophysiology laboratory. More recently, the hospital was the first in New England to perform an innovative hybrid ablation procedure that combines the best surgical and catheter-based approaches to treat atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disorder.

Part of Yale New Haven Health System, Bridgeport Hospital is a 383-bed acute care hospital (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital) serving parts of Fairfield and New Haven counties, including Connecticut’s most populous city. The hospital admits more than 18,000 patients and receives more than 240,000 outpatient visits annually.

Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital). Its Bridgeport and Milford Campuses serve patients from across the region. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 64 verified burn centers in the United States. Bridgeport Hospital is committed to providing safe, compassionate and cost efficient care to its patients and the community. www.bridgeporthospital.org