The Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL) recently granted reaccreditation status to the Echocardiography Laboratory at Watson Clinic. Established in 1984, Watson Clinic’s Echo Lab is a component of the Cardiology department housed at Watson Clinic Main at 1600 Lakeland Hills Blvd. in Lakeland. The department features state-of-the-art technology and a team of highly-trained specialists who conduct nearly 8,000 echocardiography studies a year.

“This reaccreditation by the ICAEL reflects our long-term commitment to accurate and advanced diagnostic testing,” said board-certified cardiologist John Canto, MD, MSPH, FACC, FAHA, FACP, FASE, who heads the department alongside supervisor Kimberly Young-Midea, RCS. “This achievement would not have been possible without our expert sonography technicians, physicians, and support staff who work every day to ensure exceptional patient care.”

Heart disease poses a major threat as the leading cause of death among both men and women in the United States. Echocardiographic testing is essential in the detection and management of many types of cardiovascular disease, particularly in cases that involve cardiomyopathies (weakness of the heart muscle), coronary artery disease and valvular disorders.

The reaccreditation was awarded following a rigorous review of the department’s testing capabilities, diagnostic accuracy and the interpretive and technical abilities of its sonographers and cardiologists.

The ICAEL was established with the support of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Society of Pediatric Echocardiography (SOPE) to provide a peer review mechanism to encourage and recognize the provision of quality echocardiographic diagnostic evaluations by a process of voluntary accreditation.

For more information on Watson Clinic’s Echocardiography Lab, call 863-680-7503 or visit WatsonClinic.com/Echo.