Achieving American Heart Association (AHA) certification is no small feat in post-acute care. It requires unwavering clinical standards, multidisciplinary collaboration, and a relentless commitment to evidence-based cardiac care. In Missouri, only one post-acute cardiac program has earned this distinction. To better understand what it takes to build an AHA-certified cardiac program from the ground up, we sat down with Lansdowne Village Administrator Jennifer Burgess, Area Director of Operations, and Clinical Liaison, Jennifer Mancuso, to discuss the vision, process, and leadership behind this landmark achievement.
“In a city with a lot of choices for rehabilitation, we are always looking to improve our services to exceed the expectations of our current and prospective residents,” says Burgess. Mancuso agrees, citing heart disease as a leading cause of death in the US. “We noticed that residents from our surrounding community had a lot of cardiac issues, including heart failure. Our program follows patients even after discharge, to ensure progression of progress. Aspects of the program like these attribute to lifelong benefits.”
Both Mancuso and Burgess insist that buy-in from the entire internal team was crucial. “A lot of planning and preparation goes into getting all disciplines on board to make the program a success. We assigned a ‘champion’, our ADON, to head the committee and oversee the program to keep us on track,” Burgess states, “The interdisciplinary team must believe in the mission and be involved for the program to be a success. From Dietary Services providing the appropriate diets to Social Services assisting with discharge planning, it takes the entire team to ensure residents benefit from all the program has to offer.”
The Lansdowne team is excited to see improvements to patient care, outcomes, and clinical consistency post-AHA certification. “There are rarely, if ever, discharges to the hospital for s/sx of heart failure that could have been prevented and/or treated at the center,” says Burgess. Mancuso adds, “Not only are there decreased re-hospitalizations on these patients, there’s increased quality of life.”
Mancuso notes operational improvements as well, “We have noticed improved morale within our staff, with increased meaning to what we do every day. Every staff member has been trained to look for signs and symptoms of heart failure exacerbations. Our program puts patients and families at ease.”
Certification has also influenced referral relationships, hospital partnerships, and community perception for the facility. Mancuso beams with pride, “The AHA certification has increased satisfaction and trust with hospital staff, patients and families. Lansdowne Village is now a preferred provider within the BJC network, resulting in increased admissions to us and ensuring a safe discharge to home.”
“We can speak to patients, families and case workers about how our program can positively impact them and their diagnosis,” says Burgess, “It’s a unique distinction that comparable centers in the region do not offer. Our marketing team can speak directly to real positive outcomes we have achieved for patients suffering from heart failure, giving them a leg up in having a successful discharge to the community and keeping them out of the hospital.”
When asked what advice she would give to another Administrator who was considering AHA certification, Burgess says, “First, you need to communicate the importance and benefits of the program for your residents to your team. Then, I would tell them that the planning and certification does take time. The team needs to work together to prioritize the goal. Dedicated planning time is key.”
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Becoming the only AHA-certified cardiac program in Missouri reflects more than regulatory excellence. It represents a promise to patients, families, and hospital partners that cardiac care doesn’t stop at discharge. Through intentional planning, staff education, and a culture rooted in accountability and compassion, this program has set a new benchmark for post-acute cardiac care in the state. As the Lansdowne leadership team shared, certification isn’t the finish line, it’s a commitment to continuous improvement and to delivering life-saving care at the highest standard, every single day.
To learn more about this and other services at Lansdowne Village, contact:
Clinical Liaison Jennifer Mancuso | 314-707-6183 | JMancuso@mgmhealthcare.com
