Comprehensive Cardiac Center Certification

The University of Kansas Health System is the first hospital in the nation to achieve Comprehensive Cardiac Center (CCC) Certification. This is a new honor awarded by The Joint Commission – America's top certifying body that accredits healthcare organizations that meet specific standards of quality. Achieving CCC certification is another way The University of Kansas Health System is leading Kansas City and the nation in patient care.

CCC certification honors heart programs with a comprehensive approach to care and a commitment to excellence, along with a dedication to continuous improvement. The certification criteria include outstanding patient outcomes and a patient-first philosophy where all specialties work together for the benefit of the patient.

In order to be the first in the U.S. to earn CCC certification, The University of Kansas Health System had to demonstrate excellence in treating every type of heart issue at any point in the disease process – from prevention through diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Our heart care services were required to exceed quality measurements in at least 7 of the following areas:

• Cardiac rehabilitation
• Heart failure
• Cardiac arrest
• Coronary artery bypass
• Diagnostic cardiac catheterization
• Valve replacement
• Percutaneous coronary intervention
• ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)
• Arrhythmia management
• Acute myocardial infarction

The commission surveyors focused on how well the various specialties worked together, which required collaboration among physicians and specialists – a hallmark of academic medical centers and The University of Kansas Health System.

"It is critical to our program to have no walls between specialists. We were the first program in the region to put cardiologists and heart surgeons in the same office, side by side, to foster cooperation," says Peter Tadros, MD, director of interventional cardiology at The University of Kansas Health System. "We also pioneered the hybrid suite where interventional cardiologists and surgeons work together on leading-edge heart procedures."

Choosing a CCC-certified hospital ensures you receive comprehensive, coordinated, high-quality care. Seeking CCC certification is voluntary, meaning our heart care team wasn't forced to go through a strict evaluation process, and they spent more than a year preparing to apply. We wanted to do it because providing the best care is the right thing to do. This certification attests to our commitment to putting the health and safety of our patients first.