CLINTON — One American dies every 32 seconds of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States,costing society over 83.7 billion dollars each year in health services, medications, and lost work time due to disability. Cardiac structure and flow information provided by echocardiographic testing is useful in the detection and management of many types of heart disease. With the use of specialized ultrasound technology, this noninvasive test has become one of the standard diagnostic tools in cardiology with an estimated10 million echocardiograms performed annually in the United States.

Echocardiography is a complex imaging technique that relies on the experience and training of both the physician and sonographer. Their interpretive and technical abilities determine the diagnostic accuracy of an echocardiographic examination.

The Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL) evaluates the quality of these and other critical elements of an echocardiography laboratory.

Sampson Regional Medical Center (SRMC) was recently granted reaccreditation by the ICAEL. The ICAEL’s accreditation program accredits echocardiographylaboratories across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. “We’re proud to be recognized among the many other laboratories for our commitment to high quality patient care and quality diagnostic testing,” said Sam Thornton, director of Cardiopulmonary Services at SRMC. Thornton further explains, “This accreditation rewards us for attaining an elevated industry standard. Because we go through this accreditation every three years, we have an ongoing commitment to excellence.”

Participation in the ICAEL accreditation process is voluntary but shows a facility’s dedication to excellence. The cardiopulmonary department staff at SRMC putextensive efforts into their application, which was submitted to the ICAEL in November 2010. “This accreditation signifies that SRMC has been reviewed by an independent agency which recognizes the laboratory’s commitment to quality testing for the diagnosis of heart disease,” said Paul Viser, MD, medical director of cardiopulmonary services and interpreter for SRMC’s echocardiography laboratory. “It’s always good to have outside validation that your practices are accurate and consistent. We’ve always received that validation by checking our studies against other procedures like nuclear cardiac scans and cardiac catheterizations, but this accreditation reaffirms that our practices are dependable.”