Lutheran Hospital has become the eighth hospital in the country to be accredited for its regimen of care for heart failure. Its designation by the Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium makes it only the second hospital in Indiana so recognized. The other is Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

“In addition to providing heart transplant services, Lutheran's heart-failure program is so strong that they attract substantial research even though they have the ‘feel' of a community hospital. This means that Lutheran's patients have access to treatments generally reserved for larger academic facilities,” said Dr. Tony Joseph, president of the health care colloquium, in a news release. The colloquium issued its first heart-failure accreditation in 2008.

Because heart failure is a chronic and progressive condition, accreditation standards focus on a process for diagnosis, early intervention and coordination among healthcare providers, said Joe Dorko, chief executive officer of Lutheran Hospital.

Treatment for heart failure varies from mild lifestyle changes to a heart transplant. An example Dorko offered - sleep apnea, which has a significant correlation with the development of heart disease - is now something Lutheran screens for when taking medical histories from patients.

Unlike accreditation in many other fields, which stands for three to five years before an institution is re-examined, the heart-failure accreditation has to be renewed annually. This compels Lutheran to work with all providers in its network to constantly strive for improvement, Dorko said.

Hospitals that seek accreditation through the colloquium work together to improve their heart-failure care. Lutheran officials said each facility benefits by sharing best practices, implementing a heart-failure leadership team and applying process-improvement methods.