Clinical Supervision & Support

Throughout the growth and development of either a pre-existing or newly initiated program, HeartSource staff from Columbia University's Department of Surgery maintain continuous involvement and oversight.

The review of clinical performance forms the foundation for improvement of patient outcomes. This review creates an environment in which clinical team-building can thrive, in turn promoting effective coordination of multidisciplinary care.

Clinical Information Database

Our web-based clinical quality assessment database, a cornerstone of Columbia HeartSource's services, continuously monitors clinical, financial, and operational activity. Data is entered and updated continually by a QA nurse at each site and is processed by Columbia HeartSource. The QA nurse manager on staff in the Columbia Department of Surgery provides ongoing oversight and support for the database.

Reports automatically update concurrent with these revisions, and are available via the web with up-to-the-minute information on patient volume, patient demographics, operational information such as length of stay and reasons for longer stay, quality assessments, and financial reports. This data is available to all HeartSource clients/Columbia HeartSource Community (CHSC) affiliate hospitals. By means of these reports, benchmarks can be established for each site, for the CHSC network as a whole, for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, or for purposes of reporting to state regulatory agencies.

The database's proprietary software, developed for the sole use of HeartSource clients/CHSC affiliates, enables each program to establish a rigorous quality assurance/quality improvement program. Continuous availability of accurate data enables a program to respond to situations before they become problematic, promoting continuous, proactive improvement.