Using Pinnacle to Demonstrate Excellence

Barbara Watkins, administrator at the Heart & Vascular Center (HVCA) of Arizona recently shared her experience using the PINNACLE Registry to demonstrate her practice’s commitment to quality on the ACC in Touch Blog. This spring, the practice was recognized by Health Services Advisory Group, Inc. with a “2014 Gold Arizona Quality Improvement Recognition Award.” Watkins attributes the practice’s recognition, in part, to their PINNACLE participation. “I was able to pull reports quickly from the PINNACLE Registry to demonstrate how we use health information technology to manage patients with chronic and complex diseases and report quality performance measures,” writes Watkins. “I was able to show where HVCA was when we first started using PINNACLE a year ago, and how we had improved our documentation with certain measures; such as LDL control, tobacco use and cessation programs, and use of antiplatelet therapy.” Read the full blog here.