Ochsner Health’s New Orleans Facility Obtains PH Association Accreditation

An Ochsner Health System facility in New Orleans has received Pulmonary Hypertension Association  care center accreditation.

The association accredits care centers that can assure patients receive top PH diagnosis and treatment.

Ochsner’s PH program is located at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute. It is one of only two accredited programs in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The institute is the largest hypertension treatment center in the Gulf of Mexico region.

The services that Ochsner’s PH program offers include cardiology, pulmonology, advanced practice, and outpatient nursing assistance. A lot of nurses in its Transplant Step-Down Unit and Cardiac-Medical intensive care unit also have extensive experience with PH.

Ochsner’s program has strong relationships with international experts in other specialties, including cardiac anesthesia, rheumatology, nephrology and pediatric cardiology. Program researchers work with a social worker team and home health agencies to provide 24-hour support to patients who need it.

“There is an urgent need for medical institutions to accurately diagnose, treat and provide support for PH patients,” Stacy A. Mandras, the director of Ochsner’s PH program, said in a press release. “Our team is honored to be accredited by PHA [the association] and hope that the recognition furthers our ability to provide patients with exceptional healthcare, innovative treatments and a strong support system.”

An accreditation indicates that a program has the capacity to follow Pulmonary Hypertension Association patient care guidelines. The association started the accreditation program in July 2014.

It expanded its scope in July 2017 by accrediting two programs as Centers for Comprehensive Care — the pulmonary hypertension programs at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio and the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

At the time, the additions brought the number of accredited programs to 54 — 43 for adults and eight for children, along with three adult Regional Clinical Programs.

There are two types of accredited centers: Centers of Comprehensive Care, and Regional Clinical Programs. The comprehensive centers excel at following guidelines to evaluate and care for PH patients. They also make important contributions to PH research and education.

Regional care centers work with the comprehensive centers to help PH patients.