Building on its long-established reputation as a leader in cardiac care, Gateway Medical Center is on its way to becoming a certified Chest Pain Center. Gateway has submitted its application for accreditation through the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC), holding itself up to tough national standards for best practices and quality of care. Only 12 percent of hospitals in the United States hold SCPC accreditation.
Chest pain is among the top symptoms of patients who visit the Gateway Emergency Department. Positive patient outcomes depend on timely intervention, diagnosis and treatment. To minimize the risk of lasting heart damage, the American College of Cardiology recommends physicians reestablish blood flow to the heart with a balloon angioplasty within 90 minutes of admission to the Emergency Department. Gateway consistently records door-to-balloon times almost 30 minutes faster than this national standard, in part, due to EMS active participation in the field and a certified, skilled ER team and cath lab.
Working in collaboration with cardiologists and emergency department physicians, the Chest Pain Center certification process requires Gateway to demonstrate expertise in streamlined diagnosis and treatment, integration with paramedics/EMS, staff and community education and other key factors that ensure better outcomes for patients.
The investment in establishing an accredited Chest Pain Center demonstrates Gateway Medical Center’s ongoing commitment to providing superior team-centered cardiac care. “Quick response, diagnosis and treatment save lives and heart muscle,” says Interventional Cardiologist Chris McClure, M.D., Medical Director of the new Gateway Chest Pain Center. “Permanent heart muscle damage can lead to chronic fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath, reducing quality of life. Patients can be confident that our skilled team of physicians and nurses, along with our advanced technology and exceptional response time to cardiac emergencies will give them the best chance of survival and recovery.”
The SCPC is a non-profit international society that promotes protocol-based medicine and the adoption of process improvement science by healthcare providers to address heart attacks and acute heart failure. The SCPC has initiated the review process for Gateway Medical Center’s application and will plan a site visit within the year.