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The American College of Cardiology (ACC) Accreditation Services' has been helping hospitals and health systems improve care for patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), heart failure (HF), and atrial fibrillation (AF). We believe this is best accomplished by using quality and process improvement scientific methods.
To support cardiovascular quality and performance improvement, the ACC's Accreditation Foundation Committee (AFC) provides funding opportunities that support future cardiovascular quality initiatives (QI) and/or performance improvement (PI), particularly those that highlight the importance of ACC's cardiovascular services accreditation. Funding to support these projects is made possible by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC), which was a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the care and outcomes of patients worldwide with suspected ACS, HF, and AF through innovative cross-disciplinary processes. Its merger with the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) in 2016 provided an opportunity to leverage the accreditation strength of the SCPC into the large portfolio of services the ACCF offers. To preserve the legacy of the SCPC, an endowment was created to support future cardiovascular QI or PI, particularly those efforts that demonstrate QI or PI through cardiovascular care accreditation.
In addition to the QI/PI initiative, in 2021 the AFC promoted a Microgrant initiative and awarded 25 grants. The Microgrant initiative focus on public health education to improve community CV outcomes related to early recognition of heart attack symptoms (EHAC) and appropriate action steps. These grant awards are given to hospitals to support their efforts in their local communities through both traditional means such as health fairs, innovative actions (e.g., social media) and/or other outreach activities.
For more information, please visit the FAQs section below or email us at accreditationrfp@acc.org.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Quality Initiatives
ACC's Accreditation Services' offers two funding opportunities which are the QI/PI and Microgrant that require an application process throughout the year.
We encourage applicants to apply that support cardiovascular care QI/PI and patient outcomes listed here. Priority funding is given to applicants that demonstrate affiliation with an ACC accredited and/or certified facility.
For the QI/PI project funding:
Individuals or groups may submit applications for up to $100,000 per proposal. Funds will be paid only to United States based healthcare organizations.
For the Microgrant funding:
Individuals or groups can submit one (1) microgrant per hospital or health system (payable to the organization, not the individual applying)
Total funding:
- $2,000 per hospital
- $2,500 per hospital partnering with EMS, health departments or similar organization
- $6,000 per health system
Applications are online to either submit through our Cadmium platform (QI/PI project) or through SurveyMonkey link (Microgrant). As each grant process is unique, details about how, when, and where to submit an application are posted on the Quality Initiative Proposal page. Please make sure to check this page for announcements or reach out to community@acc.org if you have any questions about the application process.
Deadlines vary for submission of the QI/PI or Microgrant initiative. Potential applicants are encouraged to visit ACC's Accreditation Services' Quality Initiative Proposal page frequently for a schedule of deadlines.
The AFC members serve as the selection committee and will evaluate the merits of each proposal and recommend projects to be funded.
Funds are available ONLY during specific periods.
Projects must be completed within twelve (12) months from the signing of the funding contract unless a specific condition exists that would warrant an exception. If an extension is required, the individual grantee must file for an extension and receive approval from the AFC. No additional funds will be provided for such an extension.