St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital Named to Aetna Institutes of Quality® for Cardiac Medical Intervention, Cardiac Rhythm, Cardiac Surgery Program

Bryan, TX, August 20, 2018 — St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital has been named to Aetna Institutes of Quality® for its Cardiac Medical Intervention, Cardiac Rhythm and Cardiac Surgery program. IOQ facilities show excellence in care and a commitment to continuous improvement, as well as offer an exceptional value to Aetna members. Aetna recognizes IOQ facilities in its online provider directory, enabling members to choose facilities that give consistently high-quality and high-value care. The IOQ Oversight Committee generally reviews programs every three years for continued designation. To become an Aetna IOQ facility, Regional’s cardiac program had to meet a threshold for the number of procedures performed in the past year, meet evidence-based and recognized standards for clinical outcomes, processes of care and patient safety, have a track record for follow-up programs and support following patients’ initial treatment and demonstrate low complication and readmission rates. “Becoming an IOQ for Aetna signifies our commitment to comprehensive, evidence-based care for cardiac patients here in our community,” said Dr. Ricardo Gutierrez, Medical Director of the St. Joseph Health Cardiovascular Service Line. “We’re proud to offer comprehensive cardiac care, including follow-up care that supports positive outcomes.’ About St. Joseph Health: St. Joseph Health offers the region’s first Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI with Resuscitation accreditation from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, the highest accreditation offered by these credentialing agencies. CHI SJH has also offered an Advanced Primary Stroke Center since 2007 and is the region’s only provider of endovascular treatment, meaning the stroke team is able to treat patients within a larger window of time following onset of symptoms. The Heart Failure and Coumadin Clinic supports heart patients in follow-up and urgent care and provides tools and resources to assist patients in their transition from the hospital to home. [For more information, please contact Director of Marketing and Public Relations Heather Bush at 979-774-2165 or [email protected].] ###