Mediclinic City Hospital achieves certification from Joint Commission International for Acute Coronary Syndrome programme

Mediclinic City Hospital has earned Joint Commission International’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Acute Coronary Syndrome programme certification.

The Heart and Vascular team at Mediclinic City Hospital has achieved certification from the Joint Commission International for its Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) programme  following a rigorous virtual survey on 10-11 November 2021.  During the survey an expert from the Joint Commission International evaluated compliance with all the relevant certification standards including the expertise of the cardiologists, nursing staff, cardiac physiologists and wider team members. The surveyor conducted observations and interviews with staff and patients. Joel Roos, MD, MBA, MHCDS, CPE, vice president, International Accreditation, Quality Improvement and Safety, Joint Commission International said, “We commend the cardiac team at Mediclinic City Hospital for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its programme structure and management framework for cardiac patients.  We congratulate Mediclinic City Hospital for this outstanding achievement.  This certification reflects its commitment to providing the highest quality of care for cardiac patients.”

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally, accounting for 17.9 million deaths worldwide in 2016¹. Acute myocardial infarction (“heart attacks”) account for the majority of these deaths. Survival from an acute myocardial infarction/ acute coronary syndrome can be significantly improved if patients can present early to an emergency department and can be treated by a team of highly skilled physicians and allied health personnel.

With this certification, Mediclinic City Hospital’s Cardiology team commits to continuous quality improvement in patient safety and standards of care for our heart patients. The accredited acute coronary syndrome program provides a framework for standardisation, thereby reducing variation and clinical risk, and facilitating a consistent approach to the care of every patient. The programme also provides a platform to enable growth of the department with expansion of services and development of new pathways of care for all cardiac conditions.

Certification of this programme by the Joint Commission International requires Mediclinic City Hospital:

• To provide  a 24/7 on-site service for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction, and cardiac surgical services.
• To have a multidisciplinary team approach which offers a full range of advanced haemodynamic support for the treatment of the most complex and critically ill patients, including those with cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest.
• To meet nine standardised performance measures such as ECG and diagnosis within 10 minutes of arrival, and time from arrival at the hospital to PCI ≤ 90 minutes.

Matthew Dronsfield, Director of Mediclinic City Hospital, said, “Quality of care for our patients is our top priority and it is for this reason that Mediclinic City Hospital created a time conscious Acute Coronary Syndrome programme. Our team follows the very latest treatment protocols as per international guidelines and recommendations and, with the cooperation of Dubai Corporation of Ambulance Services, this certified programme allows us to provide accelerated and high quality care to patients in our hospital.”

Dr. Adam Mather, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist and Clinical Lead of Acute Coronary Syndrome programme at Mediclinic City Hospital, said: “The Heart and Vascular team at Mediclinic City Hospital aims to provide the highest standards of care to patients with cardiovascular diseases. The certified acute coronary syndrome programme demonstrates that we follow the latest evidence-based clinical guidelines to deliver high quality, safe and timely care to our patients presenting with heart attacks. Our efficient and effective pathways of care enable us to achieve excellent clinical outcomes and we also pay close attention to patient and family support, rehabilitation and lifestyle modification. “