Vascular Lab Earns Accreditation

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 8, 2010) — Undergoing medical tests can be anxiety-provoking for patients. But according to an independent accrediting body, UK HealthCare patients who are referred to the UK Chandler Hospital Vascular Laboratory for diagnostic testing can look forward to benefiting from a high level of patient care as well as technical expertise.

The UK Vascular Laboratory has achieved accreditation by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL). This accreditation recognizes excellence in patient care as well as high levels of quality in testing for the diagnosis of vascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., as one person dies every 32 seconds of disorders of the heart and blood vessels. These common killers include stroke, heart attacks and deep vein thrombosis.

Early detection of life-threatening vascular disease is possible through the use of noninvasive vascular testing in hospital laboratories.

During the accreditation process, every aspect of the UK vascular lab’s daily operations was reviewed, along with an assessment of quality of health care provided to patients. During the accreditation process, institutions are required to identify and correct any potential problems, revising protocols as necessary and validating quality assurance programs.

According to the ICAVL, “participation in the accreditation process demonstrates the laboratory’s attention to a high level of patient care and quality testing.”

ICAVL is a non-profit, multidisciplinary organization supporting health care providers in cardiology, neurology, radiology, vascular medicine, vascular surgery, neurosurgery and internal medicine.

For more information on UK HealthCare services, visit http://www.ukhealthcare.uky.edu/index.asp.