The Highest Standards of Quality: UHealth Echocardiography Lab Recertified by IAC
Intersocietal Accreditation Commission accreditation is the standard in the field and means an institution is in full compliance with published standards and offers quality patient care.
The Echocardiography Lab at UHealth—University of Miami Health System has earned Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) re-accreditation for the next three years by meeting the organization’s stringent quality standards.
“The recertification of our Echo Lab underscores our unwavering commitment to academic excellence, exceptional patient care, high-quality education and impactful research. We take immense pride in seeing our Echo Lab evolve into a premier service,” said Yiannis S. Chatzizisis, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the UHealth and professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
A Rigorous Review Process
The re-accreditation process began last May and required diligent effort and comprehensive assessments. The IAC panel assessed and accredited each UHealth physician who performs and interprets echocardiograms individually. Following a self-assessment, a panel of medical experts reviewed the Echocardiography Lab’s operations, services and goals. The process included assessment of representative case studies and creation of final reports.
IAC accreditation is the standard in the field and means an institution is in full compliance with published standards and offers quality patient care.
“The big picture is their rigorous review process of our protocols and the quality of our work meets all those guidelines and standards,” said Mehrdad Ghahramani, M.D., director of echocardiography at UHealth and voluntary assistant professor of medicine at the Miller School.
Assurance of Quality
Re-accreditation is reassuring for patients who need echocardiographic evaluation and for referring physicians.
“They know they’re referring their patients to a center that has undergone rigorous review and meets the highest standards,” Dr. Ghahramani said
The re-certification is an independent verification of quality that focuses on adult transthoracic echocardiography, adult transesophageal echocardiography and adult stress testing.
“We’re the only major academic medical center in the area with an Echo Lab. We are a leader in the field of echocardiography because of our advanced capabilities in structural echocardiography, 3D echocardiography and strain imaging capabilities,” Dr. Ghahramani said. “We pride ourselves on being an integral part of a highly integrated team, working in close collaboration with our structural heart team and cardiac surgery department. This multidisciplinary approach ensures comprehensive care for our patients, leveraging the expertise of each specialty to achieve the best possible outcomes.”
Tags: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Dr. Mehrdad Ghahramani, Dr. Yiannis Chatzizisis, echocardiography