Stormont Vail Health Receives IAC Gold Milestone Recognition for Its Long-Term Commitment to Quality Vascular Testing Since 1993

Stormont Vail Health proudly announces that the Cotton O’Neil Heart Center has received the prestigious Gold Milestone Recognition from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). This award recognizes our vascular testing facility for maintaining 30 years of excellence. As one of the first facilities to earn IAC accreditation in vascular testing, we are truly part of an elite group representing our continuous commitment to quality patient care.

“Maintaining IAC accreditation is a group effort,” said Cindy Richard, RVT, RDCS, RDMS, Cardiovascular Ultrasound Team Leader. “Sonographers, interpreting physicians, and leadership each make our lab a five-star facility. Under the direction of our Medical Director, Dr. Steven Watkins, the Heart Center has continuously surpassed the standard of excellence by maintaining accreditation since 1993, almost since the IAC’s inception in 1991.”

The life-saving potential of early detection of heart disorders, stroke, and other diseases through vascular testing procedures further emphasizes the significance of IAC accreditation, which stands as the “gold standard” in vascular testing.

“Our cadre of sonographers have made the Stormont Vail vascular ultrasound facility one of the nation’s most outstanding labs for the last three decades,” said Dr. Watkins, Medical Director at the Heart Center. “They’re highly skilled in the difficult cross-section of the science and art of ultrasound and the complex art of patient care. They’re also insightful, compassionate, intelligent, hard-working, constantly learning, funny, and fun. Cindy has diligently shepherded the IAC accreditation process for many cycles, and we owe her our highest gratitude.”

This recognition is a testament to the team’s hard work and dedication to delivering safe, effective, compassionate care using accreditation as a quality metric. It also reminds us of the importance of putting patients first and continuously striving to improve the quality of care provided.

“We’re extremely proud to recognize the 30-year, first group of accredited vascular testing facilities through the Gold milestone recognition program,” said Mary Lally, MS, CAE, CEO of the IAC. “These early adopters of accreditation who maintained their commitment to quality are truly a remarkable group and champions of accreditation who have paved the way and inspired countless others to embrace this process through their example.”