The Joint Commission
Proposed in 1910 as the "end result system of hospital standardization" by Ernest Codman, MD, the Joint Commission evolved over a period of forty years. In 1950, the American College of Physicians, the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association and the Canadian Medical Association joined together to create The Joint Commission.

Although Best Vein Care is not a regulatory agency, it embraces the intent and the desired result of these regulatory guidelines. Through its Advisory Board, Best Vein Care has incorporated specialty-specific measurement criteria to the general regulatory guidelines and has established a standard of care for the delivery of quality vein care.

Perforator Vein Ablation
Includes surgical, endoscopic, endovenous thermal and ultrasound-guided chemical ablation.

Management of Deep Vein Thrombosis
Includes thrombectomy, thrombolysis, venous stenting, and deep venous reconstruction.

Management of Pelvic Venous Insufficiency
Include surgical therapy, embolization and chemical ablation.

Management of Vascular Malformation / AV Fistula
Includes surgical therapy, embolization and chemical ablation.

Management of Chronic Venous Insufficiency
Includes non-operative; i.e. compression therapy.

To promote our goals for quality improvement, an independent 8-member Advisory Board composed of vein specialists from multi-disciplinary training backgrounds who practice in varying locations throughout the United States was formed.

Sharing a patient-centered philosophy and dedication to the venous community, this unique collaborative offers years of experience and expertise. Although their service is advisory in nature, they were instrumental in refining the quality criteria and vein-specific measurements, which ultimately established our Standards of Excellence.

The members serving on the Advisory Board in this on-going capacity have no role in the evaluation or selection process.

The documented procedural volumes, the age of the center and the number of days it provides services reflects the experience of the Physician Provider and Clinical Staff and a commitment to meeting the vein care needs of their patients.

Providing access to a medical provider 24/7 represents a vein center that is committed to ensuring optimal outcomes for every patient.

Established administrative protocols and procedures, including maintaining medical malpractice coverage, indicates an awareness of the non-clinical factors that may impact the delivery of patient care.

Educating patients and staff regarding their rights, through written and audio visual mechanism, related to the following topics, reflect a center's desire to make every person feel safe and secure:

To prevent infections, a vein center must have infection control policies implemented and have established controls to ensure a sanitary surgical environment, which include meeting hand hygiene guidelines and preventing procedural site infections.

Providing a safe environment includes the necessary equipment to monitor a patient's vital signs and the maintenance of that equipment too.

A Center of Excellence is one in which an emergency preparedness plan has been established and communicated to the staff. Certification in Cardiac Life Support represents a desire to always be prepared and ready for any emergency that might arise.

Before the procedure, a history and physical will be performed and will include a review of the patient's medication. The risks, benefits and alternative treatments will be discussed prior to moving forward with a specific treatment modality. The patient will receive both written and oral instructions regarding any preparations for the procedure, including any prescription medications. In addition, the authorization for treatment will be thoroughly discussed with the patient prior to obtaining their consent for treatment.

Although most vein care procedures are minimally invasive, a standard of medical care for the Preferred Physician Provider is to monitor the patient's vital signs during the procedure, which includes their heart rhythm and blood pressure. These patient monitors provide invaluable insight into any complication that may arise and ensures a high level of patient safety during the procedure. To assure that the patient is comfortable during the procedure, the physician will continually evaluate the patient for pain management.

After the procedure, written instructions for after care, including any prescribed medications, will be reviewed with the patient. A follow-up appointment will be scheduled to evaluate and record your progress.

A Preferred Physician Provider is committed to maintaining optimal patient outcomes. In pursuing this commitment, one mechanism utilized is a patient recall system, an after care plan that was designed to maintain contact with the patient, thereby, meeting their continued vein care needs.

This survey is a very important tool by which continual process improvement may be pursued. Monitoring the results of the survey provides an opportunity for the evaluation of organizational processes and for the implementation of any necessary quality action plans. Although viewed primarily as an improvement tool, the survey also identifies and affirms the strengths found within the center.

Two invaluable mechanisms for supporting the advancement of phlebology and promoting quality improvement include the collection of case results and participation in a venous data bank. These instruments naturally translate a physician's interest and participation in clinical research, a method of medicine that focuses upon the prevention, treatment, diagnosis or for relief of symptoms in venous disease.

A Preferred Physician Provider caring for patients in a Center of Excellence embraces Best Vein Care's mission to promote the pursuit of excellence in phlebology and, in so doing, elevate the standard of care for the treatment of venous disease.

Although the delivery of care may not visibly be measured a physician's community involvement, the invisible measurement is worthwhile. Winston Churchill described this invisible measurement when he declared that "we make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give."

The Physician Quality Committee is composed of well-respected physicians, who are actively practicing in the venous community and who participate in organizations committed to the advancement of the specialty, such as the American College of Phlebology, the American Venous Forum and the International Vein Congress.

The role of the Physician Quality Committee is to provide oversight of the evaluation and selection process. Members of the committee serve voluntarily without monetary compensation and have no financial interest or investment in Best Vein Care.

Although Best Vein Care is not a governing body, it is an authoritative resource that recognizes physicians and their centers for their continual pursuit of quality improvement.