UF Pediatric Cardiovascular Center at Wolfson Reaccredited in Echocardiography
Only One Accredited in All Three Modalities between Atlanta and Orlando

Jacksonville, Florida, April 15, 2009 -- Today in the United States, more than one million people are living with congenital heart disease. Eight of every 1,000 infants are born with some type of congenital heart defect, from murmurs to serious disorders that will require cardiac surgical repair.

Thanks to technology like echocardiography, children with congenital heart problems are being diagnosed earlier and interventions are being performed earlier. This results in more survivors of problems that used to take lives and quality of life.

The University of Florida Pediatric Cardiovascular Center, a partnership between Wolfson Children's Hospital and the University of Florida/Jacksonville, offers diagnosis and treatment of infants, children and young adults with congenital and acquired heart disease. The joint program, which performed more than 6,000 echocardiograms in the past year, was recently reaccredited by the Intersocietal Commission for Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL).

In 2006, the Cardiovascular Center's two echocardiography laboratories -- the inpatient lab located at Wolfson Children's Hospital and the outpatient lab located in the Aetna Building at 841 Prudential Avenue -- were the first in Florida to have achieved accreditation in three modalities: pediatric transthoracic, pediatric transesophageal and fetal echocardiography. The program is still the only one accredited in all three modalities between Atlanta and Orlando.

The ICAEL was established with the support of the American Society of Echocardiography, the American College of Cardiology and the Society of Pediatric Echocardiography to provide a peer review mechanism to encourage and recognize the provision of quality echocardiographic diagnostic evaluations by a process of voluntary accreditation. Accreditation status signifies that the facility has been reviewed by an independent agency, which recognizes the laboratory's commitment to quality testing for the diagnosis of heart disease.

"We are proud that our center has been recognized with reaccreditation in all three modalities," says Jose Ettedgui, MD, chief of staff at Wolfson Children's Hospital and medical director of the University of Florida Pediatric Cardiovascular Center. "It affirms the quality of our program."