Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories
Regarding: Accredited Vascular Laboratory
March 30, 2010 - Northwest Neurological and Neurovascular Services, Vascular Laboratory has attained recognition for its commitment to providing a high level of patient care and quality testing for the diagnosis of vascular disease. The facility achieved accreditation by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL).
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, costing society over 83.7 billion dollars each year in health services, medications and lost work time due to disability. Stroke, a disorder of the blood supply to the brain, is the third leading cause of death and disability in the country, with 500,000 new strokes occurring annually.
One American dies every 32 seconds of cardiovascular disease, disorders of the heart and blood vessels. Each year, 2 million people in the United States alone develop deep vein thrombosis - blood clots in the veins. This affliction becomes life threatening for 500,000 of those people when the blood clot breaks loose and travels to the lungs.
Early detection of these life-threatening vascular diseases is possible through the use of noninvasive vascular testing techniques performed within vascular laboratories.
Northwest Neurological and Neurovascular Services, Vascular Laboratory located in Renton, WA, is one of a growing number of vascular laboratories in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico to meet or exceed the ICAVL standards for noninvasive vascular testing. During the accreditation process, every aspect of the laboratory's daily operations and its impact on the quality of health care provided to patients is assessed and reviewed. While completing the application, laboratories are required to identify and correct potential problems, revising protocols and validating quality assurance programs.
Participation in the accreditation process demonstrates the laboratory's attention to a high level of patient care and quality testing. ICAVL accreditation is valid for a period of three years.
The ICAVL is a non-profit organization established with the support of eleven medical societies including physicians, technologists and sonographers that represent medical specialties including cardiology, neurology, radiology, vascular medicine, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, internal medicine and biology.
Renowned Vascular Neurologist Aaron Heide, MD, Heads Renton's First Combined Traditional and Complementary & Alternative Medicine Clinic
Renton Clinic Provides a Rarely Attempted Holistic Approach to Neurological Disorders
Renton, Wash., June 23, 2007 – Headed by renowned vascular neurologist Aaron Heide, MD, Washington's Center for Health and Wellness opened its doors to the public in April, 2007. For the first time the Renton area will have a holistic health clinic combining traditional medical specialists with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) specialists providing the area a single location with synergistic treatment methodologies for the health of patients with neurological disorders.
At an open house for regional physicians last night, Dr. Heide, former director of Valley Medical Center's Stroke Unit and developer of the regional stroke network for hospitals in Washington, commented, "Washington's Center for Health and Wellness is a comprehensive outpatient center where patients can access different treatment specialties with no pretension or bias against any method of restoring and maintaining patient health." He noted, "Our approach is to address all aspects of neurological disease and our goal is to get patients healthy by whatever treatment or combination of treatments works best for each individual – all in a single location."
Patients coming to Washington's Center for Health and Wellness will have available to them: a neurologist, chiropractor, physical therapist, dietitian, massage practitioner, as well as an onsite phlebotomist, physician's assistant and a fully functional vascular lab. Plans for additional practitioners in the near future include bringing in an acupuncturist, naturopath, pediatric neurologist, and a physical medicine specialist to help facilitate the best possible patient recovery and health management.
Brian Chan, DC, one of only two chiropractors to be named in Seattle Magazine's 2005 top doctors list as voted on by other area physicians, is an excellent example of the type of quality health care provider Washington's Center for Health and Wellness is bringing together to provide patients the most comprehensive treatment approach possible under one roof.
"As a neuromuscluloskeletal specialist, my treatment approach allows Washington's Center for Health and Wellness to offer the conservative option of chiropractic care for patients with dysfunctions or pain in the arms, legs, back or neck," remarked Dr. Chan. "The array of specialists at Washington's Center for Health and Wellness allows patients to be in the driver's seat of their care without having to get in their car and drive all around," he said.
Washington's Center for Health and Wellness sees patients with any neurological ailment, including: stroke; memory loss; pain, numbness or weakness in the arms, legs or back; memory loss; seizures; balance problems; headaches and dizziness.
"Fear and anxiety is often evoked by the manifestation of neurological disorder symptoms, which is why Washington's Center for Health and Wellness provides a patient education center for the patient and their loved ones to learn about the condition," Heide stated. "Neurological diseases are often complex, so the more those around the patient are empowered with understanding, the better for the mental, social and physical health of everyone involved."
About Aaron Heide, MD
Dr. Aaron Heide, age 37, is a board certified neurologist and board certified vascular neurologist with eight years of experience as a neurologist. Most recently Dr. Heide, a Seattle native, served for four years as director of Valley Medical Center's Stroke Center. He developed the JCAHO certified stroke center at Valley Medical Center immediately after serving as a stroke fellow at Lahey Medical Center in Burlington, MA. Dr. Heide has worked diligently with Washington's hospitals since 2003 to develop a regional stroke network where patients suffering from stroke symptoms could be confident that no matter where they presented with their symptoms, they would receive a consistently high level of aggressive care, which is required for good outcomes after stroke. He completed his neurology residency at Tufts University in Boston and earned his bachelor's degree in biochemistry from the University of Washington.
About Brian Chan, DC
Dr. Brian W. Chan, a native of the Seattle area, specializes in work and auto-related injuries and has attended many post-graduate courses in injury rehabilitation and acute injury management. He joined Back and Neck Pain Centers in 2002 and is the third son of the Clinic Founder, Dr. Austen I.Y. Chan, Ph.D., DC. The Back and Neck Pain Center (BANPC) clinic in Washington's Center for Health and Wellness is the forth BANPC clinic for Dr. Chan and his father and brother, both chiropractors. In just over four years of chiropractic experience Dr. Chan has already been acknowledged by his health care peers as one of the top practitioners in the Seattle area. In the September 2005 issue of Seattle Magazine, he was voted by Seattle area doctors as one of the two best chiropractors to whom they would recommend their own family. Dr. Chan earned his doctorate of chiropractic at Palmer Chiropractic College – West in San Jose, CA. Speaking fluent English, Mandarin and Cantonese, Dr. Brian Chan is very active in the Chinese community.
About Washington's Center for Health and Wellness
Washington's Center for Health and Wellness (WCHW), established March 2006, is a multi-specialty health clinic where the health of the whole individual is taken into consideration when treating a specific ailment. WCHW provides complete neurological care to patients in a single location by providing a neurologist, chiropractor, physical therapist, dietitian, massage practitioner, as well as an onsite phlebotomist, vascular ultrasound technician and physician's assistant and plans for additional practitioners in the near future including: an acupuncturist, naturopath, pediatric neurologist, and a physical medicine specialist. By being involved in several research endeavors, WCHW is able to offer cutting edge treatments. Washington's Center for Health and Wellness develops patient-focused care plans for a healthy lifestyle that help not only the person with the disease or symptoms, but also the friends and family who care for them, including providing a patient education center where patients can learn extensively and completely about their diagnosis.
Washington's Center for Health and Wellness sees patients with any neurological ailment, including: stroke; memory loss; pain, numbness or weakness in the arms, legs or back; memory loss; seizures; balance problems, headaches and dizziness.