Chest Pain Center Accreditation with PCI Received
August 26, 2011
North Florida Regional Medical Center Receives Chest Pain Center Accreditation with PCI
Hospital is First and Only Accredited Center in Gainesville
Gainesville, FL – North Florida Regional Medical Center (NFRMC) has received full accreditation with PCI from the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC). This means NFRMC’s patient care procedures exceed the rigid standards set by SCPC to ensure that patients get the treatment they need during the critical early stages of a heart attack.
“Heart attacks are the leading cause of death throughout our nation, and an increasing number of people visit hospital emergency rooms with chest pain,” says Scarlott Mueller, V-P and Chief Nursing Officer at NFRMC. “We share SCPC’s goal of significantly reducing the number of deaths among this group of people, and that is why we undertook the rigorous process of achieving Chest Pain Center accreditation. We are very proud to be Gainesville’s first and only hospital with an accredited Chest Pain Center.”
SCPC’s goal of reducing death rates among heart attack patients includes education of the public to recognize and react to the early symptoms of a possible heart attack, as well as reducing the time that it takes to receive treatment and increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment. In its quest for Chest Pain Center accreditation, NFRMC demonstrated to accreditation surveyors that its cardiac program meets or exceeds requirements in all such categories. In approving accreditation, SCPC notes that state-of-the-art heart care at North Florida Regional Medical Center works seamlessly with area emergency medical services and other NFRMC departments to ensure that patients get the treatment they need during the critical early stages of a heart attack.
“As an accredited Chest Pain Center, we use the newest paradigms and best practices in heart care to make sure our patients get the right care at the right time to minimize or eliminate heart damage due to heart attack,” says Jay Koons, MD, a cardiologist who provides care for patients at NFRMC and Medical Director of the Chest Pain Center. “Accreditation from the Society for Chest Pain Centers is a symbol of our commitment to do everything we can to help our patients, not only survive, but have the best possible quality outcome so they can return to their lives.”
The Accredited Chest Pain Center’s protocol-driven and systematic approach to patient management allows physicians to reduce time to treatment during the critical early stages of a heart attack when treatments are most effective and to better monitor patients when it is not clear whether or not they are having a coronary event. Such observation helps ensure that patients are neither sent home too early nor needlessly admitted.
“The Chest Pain Unit at NFRMC is one example of the many best practices in our cardiovascular program,” says Cindy Keller, RN, Critical Care Services Director and Chest Pain Center Coordinator. “We started the Chest Pain Unit two years ago because many people who come to the hospital with chest pain symptoms are not actually experiencing a coronary event. Many times, the symptom of chest pain means something completely different is happening. It’s best for patients to have special observation and dedicated treatment to answer what’s happening to them. This allows them to get the care they really need and get back home faster. It also helps us devote our expert cardiovascular care for patients who truly are experiencing a heart attack.”
Chest Pain Center Accreditation for North Florida Regional Medical Center is effective beginning August 1, 2011 and continues for a period of three years.
About North Florida Regional Healthcare:
North Florida Regional Healthcare is an organization centered around the only community hospital in Gainesville, Florida -- North Florida Regional Medical Center (NFRMC). NFRMC is a 325-bed, full-service medical and surgical acute care center serving 14 counties and offering comprehensive cardiovascular care, oncology, orthopedics, neurosciences, weight loss surgery and treatment, women’s health and wound therapy, among other services. A proven leader, NFRMC is fully accredited, is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organization, is designated as a Blue Distinction ™ Center for Knee and Hip Replacement ,Spine Surgery and Bariatric Surgery. Recognized by HealthGrades for General Surgery care that is among the Top 10 Percent in the nation and 5-star Maternity care, North Florida Regional Medical Center is a member of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). Based in Nashville, Tennessee, HCA remains the nation’s leading provider of healthcare services, composed of locally managed facilities that include approximately 166 hospitals and 112 outpatient centers in 20 states and England.
About the Society of Chest pain Centers:
The Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) is an international not-for-profit organization whose mission is to transform cardiovascular care by assisting facilities in their effort to create communities of excellence that bring together quality, cost and patient satisfaction. As the only cross-specialty Society, SCPC provides the support needed for hospital systems to bridge existing gaps effectively by providing the tools, education and support necessary to navigate the changing face of healthcare successfully. For more information on SCPC, accreditation and certification opportunities, visit www.scpcp.org or call toll free 1-877-271-4176.