October 2024 — CentraState Medical Center has been recognized by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for its demonstrated expertise and commitment in treating patients who come to a cardiac catheterization lab for care, including diagnostic catheterizations and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures. CentraState was awarded Cardiac Cath Lab Accreditation with PCI for a three-year period through July 2027 based on a rigorous onsite evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who come to the cardiac cath lab.

Percutaneous coronary intervention, also known as coronary angioplasty, is a non-surgical procedure that opens narrowed or blocked coronary arteries with a balloon to relieve symptoms of heart disease or reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack.

Hospitals that have proven exceptional competency in treating patients who require cardiac catheterization have standardized their assessment process for patients before undergoing catheterization to ensure quality and patient safety. They ensure that care in the procedure room for sedation, infection control, radiation safety, universal protocol, and time out procedures is fully coordinated; and have mastered the appropriate transfer to a cath recovery unit to better monitor and track complications, enhance physician-to-patient communication, patient family communication, discharge instructions and follow-up information.

“CentraState’s interventional cardiology team has worked hard to expand lifesaving cardiac care services to the Freehold community via the Robertshaw Cardiovascular Interventional Center,” said Thomas W. Scott, FACHE, FABC, President and CEO of CentraState Healthcare System. “This recognition from the American College of Cardiology is a testament to the team’s commitment to excellence and providing high-quality care to our patients.”

In 2022, CentraState opened the state-of-the-art Robertshaw Cardiovascular Interventional Center, adding capacity to serve a greater number of patients facing cardiac emergencies. Later that year, the hospital received approval from the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) to perform emergency angioplasty for patients experiencing a heart attack, significantly improving time to treatment and allowing patients who show signs of a heart attack to get immediate care locally. In 2023, CentraState received licensing approval by the NJDOH to perform elective coronary angioplasty, enabling CentraState cardiologists to perform diagnostic testing, and if needed, necessary treatment during one visit. When advanced cardiovascular surgery is needed, CentraState patients are seamlessly connected to Atlantic Health System’s Morristown Medical Center. Morristown is nationally ranked among the top 50 hospitals for heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report. 

Hospitals receiving Cardiac Cath Lab Accreditation with PCI from the ACC must take part in a multi-faceted clinical process. Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria and have organized a team of doctors, nurses, clinicians, and other administrative staff that earnestly support the efforts leading to improved patient outcomes.

The ACC offers U.S. and international hospitals access to a comprehensive suite of cardiac accreditation services designed to optimize patient outcomes and improve hospital financial performance. These services are focused on all aspects of cardiac care, including the cath lab. Learn more at acc.org.