Texas Children's Hospital is proud to be named the first Accredited Pediatric Heart Failure Institute in Texas by The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium. The Colloquium made the announcement following nearly a year of work and an in-depth onsite review on Dec. 16. For more information about Texas Children's Heart Center visit texaschildrens.org/heart<http://globalmessaging1.prnewswire.com/clickthrough/servlet/clickthrough?msg_id=7619899&adr_order=84&url=aHR0cDovL3RleGFzY2hpbGRyZW5zLm9yZy9oZWFydC8%3D>.

Texas Children's is now among an elite group of only five pediatric members in the nation to receive this coveted distinction. The Colloquium is the first organization to develop an improvement science-based approach to heart failure accreditation using a continuum of care model. It is also the only organization that grants Institute and System accreditation for heart failure.

"We are honored to be recognized as a member of this expert group," said Dr. Daniel J. Penny, chief of cardiology at Texas Children's Hospital and section head and professor of pediatrics-cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). "This accreditation further illustrates the commitment our team is making to provide the best possible care for patients with heart failure."

Texas Children's achieved 14 significant milestones throughout the accreditation process within four domains: community, hospital, clinician and science. The achieved milestones include: Heart Failure Leadership Team; Sudden Cardiac Arrest Program; Community Screening for Heart Failure; Heart Transplant Program; Ventricular Assist Device Program; Primary Investigator IRB Approved Research; Ventricular Assist Device Education; Length of Stay Reduction; IRB Approved Research; Registry Participation; Hospital Based Pediatric Heart Failure Program; Heart Failure Continuum of Care; Colloquium Approved Abstract or Poster Presentation; and Outpatient Heart Failure Clinic.

"As one of the largest programs in the nation, our experience in treating patients with heart failure is leading the way in positive outcomes," said Dr. Jeff Dreyer, medical director of Heart Failure, Cardiomyopathy and Cardiac Transplantation at Texas Children's Hospital and professor of pediatrics-cardiology at BCM. "As a member of this prestigious colloquium we look forward to collaborating with other leading experts across the nation to advance the treatment for the hundreds of children facing heart failure in the United States and across the globe."

More than 600 children with chronic heart failure or cardiomyopathy are followed at Texas Children's Heart Center. Since its inception in 1984, Texas Children's Heart Center has performed more than 280 heart transplants, making it one of the largest and most successful programs in the nation. As the number of diagnoses for pediatric heart failure increases, so has the program's depth and breadth of experience in treating patients and the ability to offer the right pediatric ventricular assist device for each child.

For more information about The Colloquium, visit colloquiumhealth.com<http://globalmessaging1.prnewswire.com/clickthrough/servlet/clickthrough?msg_id=7619899&adr_order=84&url=aHR0cDovL2NvbGxvcXVpdW1oZWFsdGguY29tL2hvbWUv>.