About University Medical Center at Brackenridge Awards and Certification

Chest Pain Center Accreditation

University Medical Center Brackeridge has received full accreditation as a Chest Pain Center from the Society of Chest Pain Centers. Only six percent of hospitals in the United States have received this distinction.

Key areas in which a Chest Pain Center must demonstrate expertise include:

• Integrating the emergency department with the local emergency medical system
• Assessing, diagnosing and treating cardiac patients quickly
• Effectively treating patients with a low risk for heart attack and who have no assignable cause for their symptoms
• Continually seeking to improve processes and procedures
• Ensuring Chest Pain Center personnel competency and training
• Maintaining organizational structure and commitment
• Having a functional design that promotes optimal patient care
• Supporting community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack

The goal of the Society of Chest Pain Centers is to significantly reduce the mortality rate of these patients by teaching the public to recognize and react to the early symptoms of a possible heart attack, reduce the time that it takes to receive treatment, and increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment.

Solucient's 100 Top Hospitals

University Medical Center at Brackenridge and Seton Medical Center are two of the nation's top hospitals, according to a recent report. Released on Monday, May 24, the Solucient 100 Top Hospitals®: National Benchmarks for Success study recognized U.S. hospitals that demonstrate superior clinical, operational and financial performance.

Magnet Nursing

The American Nurses Credentialing Center, an arm of the American Nurses Association, has awarded University Medical Center at Brackenridge with Magnet-the highest honor bestowed to nursing services in healthcare organizations. The four-year designation is given to organizations that are committed to sustaining excellence, improving professional practice and transforming the culture of a work environment. Magnet designation provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care they can expect to receive.

Texas Organ Sharing Alliance

On June 5, 2001, Brackenridge Hospital received an award from the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, recognizing its staff and physicians, for its contribution in helping them reach their best year ever for organ donation and the organ donation process. In 1999, 114 families in Central and South Texas consented to organ donation, a 20 percent increase over the previous year. As a result, more than 300 patients received lifesaving organ transplants in 2000.

Austin Family

In a 1999 Reader's choice award Seton Medical Center and Brackenridge hospitals tied for the best place in Austin to give birth; and Seton Medical Center also earned the outstanding award for Best Hospital in Austin, TX.

THA TDH

The Texas Hospital Association and the Texas Department of Health have awarded SETON the Texas 10 Step System designation. SETON is one of only five other health systems in Texas to earn this award which promotes the health of mothers and infants through breast feeding.