National accreditation program aims to benefit adults with congenital heart disease

To better serve the 1.4 million U.S. adults living with congenital heart disease, the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) on Sept. 14 announced the start of a national accreditation program.

Eleven medical centers are the first to earn ACHA Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) accreditation:

• Ahmanson/UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center in Los Angeles
• Adult Congenital Heart Program, Stanford University, in Palo Alto, California
• Adult Congenital Heart Disease Clinic at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver
• Boston Adult Congenital Heart and Pulmonary Hypertension Program
• University of Michigan Adult Congenital Heart Program in Ann Arbor
• Washington University Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program in St. Louis
• Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine in Omaha
• Cincinnati Children’s Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program
• Columbus Ohio Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Pulmonary Hypertension Program
• Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program at University of Washington & Seattle Children’s Hospital
• Providence Adult and Teen Congenital Heart Program in Spokane, Washington

Eight other organizations are currently going through the accreditation process.

“Accreditation will elevate the standard of care and have a positive impact on the futures of those living with this disease,” Mark Roeder, president and CEO of ACHA, said in a statement. “Coordination of care is key, and this accreditation program will make care more streamlined for ACHD patients, improving their quality of life.”

The ACHA worked with medical professionals and patients to determine criteria for accreditation. According to its press release, fewer than 10 percent of ACHD patients see a cardiologist who specializes in adult care.

“I have patients who won’t travel because they are nervous about receiving care away from home,” Curt Daniels, MD, chair of the ACHA medical advisory board, said in a statement. “This network will help solve that issue, because I can now contact an accredited center when my patient is in the area, should a need for care arise.”