Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center Recognized for Excellence with ACC HeartCARE Center Designation

HOUSTON (March 11, 2024) — The American College of Cardiology has recognized Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center for its demonstrated commitment to comprehensive, high-quality culture and cardiovascular care. Baylor St. Luke’s was awarded the HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence in March based on meeting accreditation criteria, and through its ongoing performance registry reporting. Baylor St. Luke’s is the only hospital in the Texas Medical Center with the designation and it’s the fifth consecutive year the hospital has earned it. 

Hospitals and health systems that have earned an ACC HeartCARE Center designation have met a set of criteria, including participating in at least two ACC Accreditation Services programs, NCDR registries and targeted quality improvement campaigns, such as Patient Navigator Program: Focus MI, that are designed to help hospitals and institutions close gaps in guideline-based care. Baylor St. Luke’s was previously awarded ACC Cardiac Cath Lab  Accreditation, ACC Electrophysiology Accreditation, ACC Transcatheter Valve Certification, and NCDR Platinum Performance Achievement Award for Chest Pain-MI Registry. Baylor St. Luke’s also participates in the NCDR CathPCI Registry, Chest Pain MI Registry, LAAO Registry, EP Device Implant Registry, AFib Ablation Registry, and ACC TVT Registry. 

With this designation, hospitals and health systems can now showcase their elite status and publicly highlight their outstanding commitment to quality for their patients, providers and other stakeholders. 

“Baylor St. Luke’s has demonstrated its commitment to providing Greater Houston with excellent heart care,” said Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, FACC, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board. “ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award Baylor St. Luke’s with the HeartCARE Center designation.” 

Hospitals receiving the HeartCARE Center designation from the ACC have demonstrated their commitment to consistent, high-quality cardiovascular care through comprehensive process improvement, disease and procedure-specific accreditation, professional excellence, and community engagement. Baylor St. Luke’s has proven to be a forward-thinking institution with goals to advance the cause of sustainable quality improvement.

“We are extraordinarily proud of our dedicated teams at Baylor St. Luke’s for being the only hospital in the Texas Medical Center to earn this designation,” said Brad Lembcke, MD, president of Baylor St. Luke’s. “Recognitions like this ACC HeartCARE Center designation reiterate our commitment to excellence and quality in the care we provide.”

Baylor St. Luke’s, a joint venture between Baylor College of Medicine and St. Luke’s Health, is the flagship academic medical center of the St. Luke’s Health System. Located in the Texas Medical Center, the hospital is the home of the Texas Heart Institute, a cardiovascular research and education institution founded in 1962 by Denton A. Cooley, MD. 

The ACC offers U.S. and international hospitals like Baylor St. Luke’s access to a comprehensive suite of cardiac accreditation services designed to optimize patient outcomes and improve hospital financial performance. These services are focused on all aspects of cardiac care.

About Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center
Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center is an 881-bed quaternary care academic medical center that is a joint venture between Baylor College of Medicine and St. Luke’s Health. Located in the Texas Medical Center, the hospital is the home of the Texas Heart Institute, a cardiovascular research and education institution founded in 1962 by Denton A. Cooley, MD. The hospital was the first in Texas and the Southwest designated a Magnet Recognition Program hospital for Nursing Excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, receiving the award five consecutive times. Baylor St. Luke’s also has three community emergency centers offering adult and pediatric care for the Greater Houston area.

About St. Luke’s Health
St. Luke’s Health is home to 16 hospitals covering Houston, Brazos Valley, Brazosport, and Lufkin and includes Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, the research and teaching hospital for Baylor College of Medicine. St. Luke’s Health is also home to the Texas Heart ®Institute (THI), the top-ranked heart center in Houston, and the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, a nationally accredited, NCI-designated cancer center. Its integrated network of care includes more than 380 employed and 1,600 clinically aligned network providers, and more than 21,000 employees, providers, interns, and volunteers delivering high-value, nationally-ranked quality care within a Christian ministry of healing. St. Luke’s Health is a part of CommonSpirit Health.

About the American College of Cardiology
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is the global leader in transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health for all. As the preeminent source of professional medical education for the entire cardiovascular care team since 1949, ACC credentials cardiovascular professionals in over 140 countries who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. Through its world-renowned family of JACC Journals, NCDR registries, ACC Accreditation Services, global network of Member Sections, CardioSmart patient resources and more, the College is committed to ensuring a world where science, knowledge and innovation optimize patient care and outcomes. Learn more at acc.org or follow @ACCinTouch.