PRESS RELEASES
Hospitals Receive Echocardiography Accreditation
Addison Gilbert Hospital, Beverly Hospital and Beverly Hospital at Danvers Receive Echocardiography Accreditation
Facilities Recognized for High Quality Patient Care and Quality Diagnostic Testing
(Danvers, MA) – July 26, 2010 – Addison Gilbert Hospital, Beverly Hospital and Beverly Hospital at Danvers recently received accreditation of their echocardiography laboratories from the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL). Accreditation status signifies that the facilities have been reviewed by an independent agency which recognizes the laboratory’s commitment to quality testing for the diagnosis of heart disease.
The ICAEL certification process was established with the support of the American Society of Echocardiography, the American College of Cardiology and the Society of Pediatric Echocardiography to provide a peer review mechanism to encourage and recognize the provision of quality echocardiographic diagnostic evaluations by a process of voluntary accreditation. A non profit organization, the ICAEL is dedicated to ensuring high quality patient care and to promoting healthcare.
“We are very pleased to receive this significant accreditation from ICAEL for high quality care in our Echocardiography Labs,” said Pauline Pike, chief operating officer of Northeast Hospital Corporation. “Providing high quality patient care to the residents of the North Shore is our daily mission and goal as an organization. Receiving a recognition such as this let’s us know that we are succeeding in that journey.”
Cardiac structure and flow information provided by echocardiographic testing is useful in the detection and management of many types of heart disease. This noninvasive test has become one of the standard diagnostic tests in cardiology with an estimated 10 million echocardiograms performed annually in the United States. Echocardiography is a complex imaging technique that relies on the experience and training of both the physician and the sonographer. Their interpretive and technical abilities determine the diagnostic accuracy of an echocardiographic examination. The ICAEL has developed an accreditation program which evaluates the quality of these and other critical elements of an echocardiography laboratory.
Northeast Hospital Corporation
Northeast Hospital Corporation, part of Northeast Health System, offers a full continuum of acute inpatient, outpatient and behavioral health services to North Shore residents at a variety of locations including Beverly and Addison Gilbert hospitals, full service community hospitals with a medical staff of more than 600 physicians providing quality, patient-centered care in maternity, pediatrics, surgical, cardiology, orthopedics, as well as other specialties; BayRidge Hospital, a 62-bed acute inpatient facility offering inpatient and emergency behavioral health services as well as programs for mental health and substance abuse; and Beverly Hospital at Danvers Medical and Day Surgery Center, a state-of-the-art regional outpatient care facility designed to provide the North Shore with advanced care in a wide range of areas at a convenient location with patient-friendly hours.
