Sutter Medical Center's Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program Receives National Accreditation

SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of its expertise in serving adults with congenital heart disease (CHD), Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento earned accreditation from the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA), a nationwide organization focused on connecting patients, family members and healthcare providers to form a community of support and a network of experts with knowledge of CHD. It is the third accredited adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) program in California and the first in the greater Sacramento region.

Individuals with CHD, the most common birth defect diagnosed in one in 100 births, are living longer. There are 1.4 million adults in the U.S. living with one of many different types of congenital heart defects, ranging among simple, moderate and complex.

"We find that patients born with a heart defect who have graduated from the care of a pediatric cardiologist frequently do not continue their care with a cardiologist with specific expertise in treating adults with congenital heart disease, and sometimes do not have a cardiologist at all," said Pei-Hsiu Huang, M.D., medical director of the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento. "As Sacramento's only adult congenital heart disease accredited program, we are excited to be recognized by the ACHA for providing the best and most appropriate care to ACHD patients, many of whom may not otherwise be seeing a cardiologist regularly."

The Sutter Medical Center ACHD Program received accreditation by meeting ACHA's criteria, which includes medical services and personnel requirements and going through a rigorous accreditation process, both of which were developed over a number of years through a collaboration with doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses and ACHD patients.

"There are now more adults than children in the U.S. with CHD," said Mark Roeder, president and CEO of ACHA. "Accreditation will elevate the standard of care and have a positive impact on the futures of those living with this disease. Coordination of care is key, and this accreditation program will make care more streamlined for ACHD patients, improving their quality of life."

There are 30 ACHA ACHD accredited programs throughout the United States. The only other accredited programs in California are at UCLA and Stanford.

Sutter Heart & Vascular Institute at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento provides comprehensive cardiovascular care throughout a patient's life. For more information, visit www.sutterhealth.org or call 916-887-4242. 

The Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life and extending the lives of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). ACHA serves and supports the more than 1 million adults with CHD, their families and the medical community — working with them to address the unmet needs of the long-term survivors of congenital heart defects through education, outreach, advocacy and promotion of ACHD research. For more information about ACHA, contact 888-921-ACHA or visit www.ACHAHeart.org.  

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SOURCE Sutter Medical Center