The University of Texas Medical Branch Clear Lake Campus was recently reaccredited as a Chest Pain Center through the American College of Cardiology following an extensive 12-month review.
Chest Pain Center Accreditation, first earned by the campus in 2021, is a quality improvement program designed for hospital cardiovascular teams that are focused on the efficient and effective care of acute coronary syndrome patients.
There are three types of accreditation designations awarded by the American College of Cardiology—UTMB's reaccreditation includes the Primary PCI designation.
The Clear Lake Campus has a 24/7 Cath lab team and interventional cardiologist on call ready to care for cardiac emergencies. Once the cardiac team is activated, they respond in less than 30 minutes—a standard that helps decrease mortality and improve outcomes for patients.
“We know there’s a huge need in the community for quality cardiology care people can trust,” said Ann Varghese, administrator for the UTMB Health Clear Lake and League City Campuses. “The team here works hard every day to meet that need and earning this reaccreditation is just one example of that.”
Clarissa Ortiz, a Cardiac Nurse Manager in Clear Lake, was an integral part of the reaccreditation process, but she is the first to call out what a collaborative effort it is to make something like this happen.
"Our multidisciplinary team approach to cardiac care is our greatest success," said Ortiz.
More information on Chest Pain Center Accreditation, is available online.