Philadelphia’s University City Earns American Heart Association Certification 

National Program Reflects Nursing Facility’s Focus on Comprehensive Care

Building on its commitment to comprehensive care and services, University City Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in downtown Philadelphia recently earned the American Heart Association’s (AHA’s) new Skilled Nursing Facility Heart Failure Center Certification. Located at 3609 Chestnut St., on the same block as Penn Medicine, the facility offers short-term rehabilitation and long-term care services.

The world’s leading nonprofit focused on heart and brain health, the AHA has invested more than $4.8 billion in research since its founding. Evaluation criteria for its new skilled nursing certification – earned by less than 1% of skilled nursing facilities nationwide, to date – was designed by heart failure experts. Certification requirements include program management, personnel education, clinical management, care coordination and performance improvement, as well as patient and caregiver education and support.

“This advanced certification provides heart patients with the assurance that University City is recognized by the AHA for delivering the most effective heart failure treatment strategies based on a standardized method of current evidence-based guidelines,” said Danielle Koons, senior regional director of market development at Marquis Health Consulting Services, which supports the facility. “These specific care strategies and services are aimed at improving outcomes for those with chronic heart failure and its co-morbidities, as well as reducing readmissions.”

University City is undergoing a multi-million-dollar capital improvement program, including enhanced specialty programming development and extensive physical renovations. In addition to its clinical offerings, University City is committed to serving as a healthcare resource for the community. To that end, it has established a resource library of physician-curated content, addressing many topics of interest; the library and more facility information can be found at universitycityrehabhc.com.

Brick, N.J-based Marquis Health Consulting Services provides administrative and consulting services to skilled nursing facilities and senior housing communities along the Eastern Seaboard. The organization’s operational guidance enables its client facilities to overachieve their quality and customer service goals by embracing a progressive, multi-specialty approach to healthcare.