Kent Hospital has received accreditations for two key cardiac services, its echocardiography laboratory and its nuclear cardiology laboratory.

Kent is one of only four hospitals to gain accreditation from the Intersocietal Commisssion for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL), a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to promoting quality echocardiographic diagnostic evaluations through a voluntary, peer review-based accreditation system.

Echocardiograms provide cardiac structure and flow information that is useful in detecting and managing many types of heart disease. An estimated 10 million echocardiograms are performed annually in the U.S., each involving a doctor and a sonographer.

Kent has also been accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Nuclear Medicine Laboratories (ICANL) – one of only three hospitals in the state to earn this recognition. Nuclear medicine involves evaluating the heart at rest and during exercise using a small amount of radioisotope.

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States with one American dying every 32 seconds,” said Kent President and CEO Sandra Coletta. “I would like to congratulate Drs. Joseph Spinale, Kenneth Salzsieder and their staff for achieving this important recognition. Their expertise and determination to provide the very best in cardiac care is a testament to their skill and dedication to the patients of Kent Hospital.”

Kent Hospital, a member of the Care New England health system, is a 359-bed facility serving residents of central and southern Rhode Island. For more information, go to www.kenthospital.org.