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What's New at NCDR and ACC Accreditation Services

Stay up to date with the latest news from ACC NCDR and Accreditation Services, where data, accreditation and collaboration come together to drive meaningful improvements in cardiovascular care.

Celebrating Ten Years of Excellence

As ACC NCDR and Accreditation Services celebrates 10 years together, we reflect on a decade of progress, collaboration, and measurable improvement in cardiovascular care. Together with our partners, we remain focused on driving innovation, quality, and better outcomes for patients nationwide.

New Accreditation Designation

10 Years Together

NEW Chest Pain Center Accreditation Cardiogenic Shock Designations!

New standards focused on early recognition and escalation of cardiogenic shock. Presales will be available in late spring 2026. Stay tuned for tools and resources to support your planning.

News Stories and Journal Scans

Explore the latest ACC NCDR and Accreditation articles and stay informed about updates, insights and key developments.

CMS Proposes Updates to TAVR National Coverage Determination

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ACC Streamlines Cardiac Accreditation for Hospital Systems

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ACC HeartCARE Center Designation Hits 100 Hospital Milestone

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NCDR Study: Prevalence and Outcomes of PCI Performed at Facilities Without On-Site Cardiac Surgery

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NCDR Study: Off-Label Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Interventions Demonstrate Reduced Residual TR, Improved QOL

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QI.PI Project Grant Recipient Develops Digital Biomarker for PAD Screening


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Stay Connected to Quality and Practice Excellence

U.S. News and World Report

In the 2026 U.S. News and World Report "Best Hospitals" issues annual ad insert, the ACC recognizes the more than 2,000 hospitals, health systems and centers participating in NCDR and/or Accreditation Services.

 

ACC CV Quality SmartBrief

The ACC CV Quality SmartBrief eNewsletter is a free, twice-weekly briefing for health care stakeholders interested in quality care.

Learn more about the ACC CV Quality SmartBrief and subscribe.

Connect Through DocMatter

ACC members can deepen their engagement through DocMatter, the College's exclusive, secure online community. DocMatter connects over 65,000 cardiovascular professionals to provide a trusted space to exchange insights, discuss clinical and operational challenges, and stay informed about ACC NCDR and Accreditation programs and initiatives.

ACC members can access DocMatter as part of their membership.

From The ACC

Explore the latest news and insights from the American College of Cardiology shaping cardiovascular quality, care delivery, and accreditation.

  • Mortality risk in resistant bloodstream infections studied

    Research in JAMA Network Open found that patients with bloodstream infections due to piperacillin-tazobactam-resistant Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae strains did not carry an increased risk of 30-day mortality after adjusting for baseline clinical characteristics. Authors said the findings suggest that "clinical comorbidities associated with TZP-resistant bloodstream infections may explain the apparent higher mortality risk compared with TZP-susceptible bloodstream infections." Infectious Disease Advisor (8/19) Learn More

  • Culture, data lead to safety improvements at Va.-based system

    Virginia-based Sentara Health has significantly reduced hospital-acquired infections over the past decade by making patient safety a strategic priority, says Garrett Blair, vice president of quality improvement. Meetings often begin with patient safety stories as learning opportunities, encouraging a culture of continuous improvement. The organization has paired this culture with transparent data and clear performance expectations so that safety is a priority for everyone and not delegated to specific departments. Chief Healthcare Executive (8/18) Learn More

  • Some states' hospitals face patient experience challenges

    New York hospitals have significant room for improvement in patient experience, an analysis found. Medical centers in the state ranked third to last in the study published in the CMS' Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems. New York hospitals averaged a patient satisfaction score of 2.76 out of 5, below the nation's 3.29 average. Florida and New Jersey were the only states ranking lower. LoHud.com (8/19) Learn More

  • Hospitals do sepsis screening, but few have coordinators

    A CDC survey found that while 93% of US hospitals screen for sepsis, and 87% use tailored order sets, only 36% have a sepsis coordinator and 32% have staff with data and IT expertise. The agency emphasizes the need for better leadership and data support in sepsis programs. Becker's Hospital Review (8/18) Learn More

  • Ambient AI advances documentation, patient care

    Pennsylvania-based Penn Medicine and Temple Health and North Carolina's Advocate Health are expanding the use of ambient AI to enhance clinical documentation and improve patient care. Ambient AI tools, including Microsoft Dragon Copilot, are being deployed to reduce documentation time and improve clinician satisfaction. These organizations report significant reductions in documentation time and enhanced patient interactions, yet challenges in scaling and integration persist, requiring ongoing collaboration among clinicians, IT experts and data scientists. HealthTech (8/18) Learn More

  • AI-powered stethoscopes show promise in CVD detection

    AI-powered stethoscopes look promising for early detection of cardiovascular conditions such as atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease and heart failure, which may be underdiagnosed using traditional auscultation. A study in the European Heart Journal: Digital Health found that digital stethoscopes with AI were more than doubly sensitive in identifying moderate-to-severe heart valve diseases compared with traditional stethoscopes. A study in The Lancet highlighted the diagnostic performance of these stethoscopes in primary care. Medscape (8/18) Learn More

  • How AI scribes may help, hinder SDOH data capture

    AI scribes are being used more frequently to record patient visits, but they may miss critical social determinants of health data. Maxim Topaz of Columbia University notes that social needs may be communicated indirectly, making them difficult for AI to capture. Kristine Lee of The Permanente Medical Group believes AI scribes can be set up to document social needs effectively. TechTarget (8/17) Learn More

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