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Brisbane’s St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital has been named an International Centre of Excellence by the American College of Cardiology, following independent accreditation of the hospital’s cardiac catheterisation program.
St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital is the first hospital in Australia to achieve this accreditation which recognises demonstrated expertise and commitment to continuous improvement in heart health.
In February 2025, St Andrew’s was awarded the College’s Cardiac Catheter Lab Accreditation with PCI recognising demonstrated ability to provide the highest standards of care for patients requiring diagnostic catheterisation and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures.
This accreditation qualifies St Andrew’s to join the College’s International Centres of Excellence, of which there are only few located outside of the United States.
St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital General Manager, Mairi McNeill, said the accreditation places St Andrew’s among leaders in cardiac care globally.
“History shows that St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital has been at the forefront of advancing cardiac care here in Queensland for decades,” she said.
“As the first private hospital in the state to open a coronary care unit in 1974, a catheter laboratory in 1983 and to perform open heart surgery in 1985, this is another very proud moment in St Andrew’s history.”
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is the global leader in transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health, and offers hospitals and healthcare facilities access to accreditation services designed to optimise patient outcomes.
Hospitals that achieve ACC accreditation have been proven to meet or exceed a range of stringent criteria, and demonstrate an ongoing commitment to providing safe, effective and evidence-based cardiac care.
“The accreditation process has spanned almost 12 months and has tested and evaluated our interventional cardiac procedures, patient care and outcomes,” Mairi explained.
“It is a great testament to our diverse and highly skilled cardiologists and cardiac team, and formally recognises their ability to provide advanced cardiac care, benchmarked against international leaders in the field.
“Most importantly, for our patients, it means when they come to St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital, they can trust their heart is in good hands,” she said.
The International Centre of Excellence is awarded to international hospitals that demonstrate their commitment to consistent, high-quality cardiovascular care through comprehensive process improvement, disease and procedure-specific accreditation, professional excellence and community engagement.
Hospitals receiving Cardiac Cath Lab Accreditation with PCI from the American College of Cardiology must take part in a multi-faceted clinical process that involves completing a gap analysis, examining variances of care, developing an action plan, a rigorous onsite review, and monitoring for sustained success.
PCI or percutaneous coronary intervention is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that opens narrowed or blocked coronary arteries with a balloon to relieve symptoms of heart disease and reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack.
