Clermont Hospital Earns Advanced Certification for Heart Failure Care

Mercy Health - Cincinnati, which provides advanced, compassionate, quality care in your neighborhood through its care network, announces that Clermont Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® for Advanced Certification in Heart Failure. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.

Clermont Hospital underwent a rigorous on-site review earlier this year. Joint Commission experts evaluated the hospital’s compliance with disease-specific care standards as well as with heart failure-specific requirements. The certification recognizes heart failure programs that include either a hospital-based and hospital-owned outpatient heart failure clinic or have a collaborative relationship with one or more attending cardiology practices.

“The heart care team at Clermont Hospital is pleased to receive advanced certification from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association,” said Ken James, Mercy Health East Market President and CEO. “The certification gives us the chance to highlight the exceptional heart failure care we provide to patients. It also inspires us to advance our care even further for the benefit of our patients and their loved ones.”

"Clermont Hospital has thoroughly demonstrated a high level of care for patients with heart failure,” said Patrick Phelan, executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission. “We commend the hospital for becoming a leader in heart failure care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for heart failure patients in Clermont and surrounding communities.”

Established in 2002 and awarded for a two-year period, The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification evaluates clinical programs across the continuum of care and addresses three core areas:

• compliance with consensus-based national standards
• effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care
• an organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities

More than an estimated five million Americans suffer from heart failure, a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to the body’s other organs, according to the American Heart Association. Although the heart keeps working, it’s not as effective as it should be. Each year, about 825,000 new cases are diagnosed and more than 275,000 will die of heart failure. However, many patients can lead a full life through a combination of medication and lifestyle changes.