FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® and the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark for Comprehensive Cardiac Center Certification. Texas Health Fort Worth is the second facility in Texas, and one of fewer than 20 hospitals in the nation, to have achieved this level of distinction.

“It’s definitely an honor to be just the second hospital in Texas to earn this national recognition, and it demonstrates that we’re continuously striving to do what’s best for our patients and their loved ones,” said Joseph DeLeon, Texas Health Fort Worth president. “Our efforts aren’t driven by accolades but instead by a commitment to provide exceptional patient care with compassion by all involved — from the physicians on the medical staff, to nurses, to each and every hospital employee.”

Cardiac care hitting close to home

Sometimes, a hospital employee becomes the patient — a scenario that Cheryl Calvert knows all too well. One early morning at Texas Health Fort Worth, Calvert, a patient billing specialist, nearly died from sudden cardiac arrest.

“We found her, arms outstretched, staring at the ceiling and turning blue,” said Derone Mayfield, who serves as the hospital’s audiovisual technician. Lying on her office floor, Calvert was barely breathing.

Mayfield and other hospital employees used an automated external defibrillator (AED) and performed CPR. Minutes went by; after being shocked four times with the AED, Calvert still had no pulse. She was rushed to Texas Health Fort Worth’s Emergency Department.

“Ms. Calvert’s prognosis was very poor, because nearly 45 minutes went by before her pulse was stabilized, which is what’s referred to as a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC),” said Justin Martin*, M.D., an interventional cardiologist on the Texas Health Fort Worth medical staff and with Texas Health Physicians Group.

According to Martin, published data has determined that less than 5% percent of cardiac arrest patients survive if ROSC takes longer than 30 minutes.

“Ms. Calvert’s survival was a result of dedicated care and teamwork,” Martin said. “That compassion filtered over to Texas Health Fort Worth’s multidisciplinary team, which includes individuals in nursing, critical care, pulmonary, cardiology and cardiac surgery.”

Calvert spent nine days in the hospital and completed cardiac rehabilitation at Texas Health Fort Worth.

“It feels like it happened to someone else, but for every person who helped save my life, I won’t ever be able to thank them enough,” she said.

Outlining criteria for the certification

Having a cohesive, multidisciplinary care team is a key component of Texas Health Fort Worth earning its most recent recognition from The Joint Commission — and a testament to Calvert’s survival. To earn Comprehensive Cardiac Center Certification, facilities must also offer specific services to cardiac patients, including:

• Providing cardiac disease prevention resources
• Managing and triaging emergency cardiovascular conditions
• Addressing cardiac arrest
• Addressing ischemic heart disease
• Addressing cardiac valve disease
• Offering electrophysiology services and outpatient cardiac device clinics
• Providing cardiac rehabilitation (on site or by referral)
• Providing heart failure management, including outpatient services

“We are so proud of our team and the work that they have done,” DeLeon said. “It validates the commitment and effort for the multidisciplinary care that our patients receive — no matter if the patient is a fellow hospital employee or a North Texan entrusting us with their care. Our goal is to help prevent, identify and treat cardiac conditions by going above and beyond to care for individuals, efficiently and compassionately.”

Created in 2019, the certification requires health facilities to complete a rigorous two-day, on-site review by The Joint Commission. To maintain the Comprehensive Cardiac Center Certification, Texas Health Fort Worth will undergo another review process in two years. To learn how Texas Health is advancing heart and vascular care throughout North Texas, click here.

*Providers employed by Texas Health Physicians Group are not employees or agents of Texas Health Resources hospitals.