In recognition of its expertise in treating adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD), the Mount Sinai Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center has been accredited by the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) as a Comprehensive Care Center.
The Center, launched in January 2020 and directed by Ali N. Zaidi, MD, serves the medical and surgical needs of a growing population of adults born with congenital heart disease. It becomes one of just three ACHA adult CHD-accredited programs in New York State and 36 in the United States.
ACHA is a nationwide organization focused on connecting patients, family members, and health care providers to form a community of support and a network of experts with knowledge of congenital heart disease. Nearly 2 million adults in the United States are living with one of many different types of congenital heart defects, ranging from simple to complex. ACHA accreditation develops extensive criteria to standardize, and thus improve, the quality and safety of care for this cohort of adult patients.
"This achievement for Mount Sinai Heart has been a goal of mine for many years. I congratulate and thank Dr. Zaidi and his colleagues for making this a reality and for his outstanding dedication to improving quality of care for patients with congenital heart disease," says Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-In-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital.
"Advances in medicine and surgical techniques have greatly improved the odds of survival for newborns who are born with congenital heart defects, the most common type of birth defect. This translates to a growing adult population requiring expert care that is comprehensive and well coordinated across multiple specialties," says Dr. Zaidi, who is the only physician in New York State trained and board certified in adult congenital heart disease, adult cardiology, pediatric cardiology, internal medicine, and pediatrics, and is one of a small group of physicians in the United States with five board certifications. "This accreditation represents a critical milestone in our center as we continue to refine our standards of clinical care and provide a seamless transition for young adults who move from pediatric cardiology to adult congenital heart disease and who often require a complement of well-coordinated specialty services," says Dr. Zaidi.
"Obtaining accreditation from ACHA is a wonderful testament to the outstanding quality of care that is offered in our adult congenital heart program at Mount Sinai. We are lucky to have two outstanding and experienced adult congenital specialists in Dr. Zaidi and Barry Love, MD, and I am excited that the foremost organization for adult congenital care has put their stamp of approval on our program," says Robert H. Pass, MD, Chief of Pediatric Cardiology and Director of Pediatric Electrophysiology at the Mount Sinai Health System.
"The accreditation from ACHA ensures the highest standard of clinical care for a growing population of young people who are born with congenital heart disease. While we can repair their hearts at a very early age, sometimes when they are just a day old, these patients will grow into adults who will require the highest standard of clinical care throughout their lives," says Peter Pastuszko, MD, Chief of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery and Director of Pediatric Cardiovascular Services at Mount Sinai Health System.
"There are now more adults than children in the United States with CHD," said Mark Roeder, President and CEO of ACHA. "Accreditation will elevate the standard of care and have a positive impact on the futures of those living with this disease. Coordination of care is key, and this accreditation program will make care more streamlined for ACHD patients, improving their quality of life."
In addition to providing comprehensive care for adults with all forms of congenital heart disease, the Mount Sinai ACHD Center includes a dedicated Fontan Clinic, which focuses on adults with single-ventricle Fontan physiology; this includes comprehensive evaluation, screening, and clinical care in a multidisciplinary care model. Mount Sinai's Fontan Program is one of the only programs in New York State in which ACHD specialists, hepatologists (liver specialists), nutritionists, cardiac imagers, and mental health and social workers work together in a single setting. It is one of a small group of centers in the country offering a dedicated long-term survivorship program for adults with single-ventricle Fontan physiology.
