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– The Society of Chest
Pain Centers has granted the designation of Accredited Chest
Pain Center to seven acute care hospitals of the Saint Barnabas
Health Care System for receiving full accreditation status
from the Accreditation Review Committee on June 27, 2005. The
Saint Barnabas Health Care System is the only system in New
Jersey to achieve this designation and is among a distinguished
group of 141 hospitals nationwide. The seven hospitals are
Community Medical Center, Toms River, Clara Maass Medical Center,
Belleville, Kimball Medical Center, Lakewood, Monmouth Medical
Center, Long Branch, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Saint
Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, and Union Hospital, Union.
“This is a wonderful honor and a true reflection of our
System’s collaborative approach to better manage the early
treatment of acute coronary disease while optimizing quality
care and positive hospital outcomes,” says Ronald J. Del
Mauro, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Saint Barnabas
Health Care System. “It sets our Emergency Departments
apart as the place to go in the state for anyone experiencing
chest pain.”
The multidisciplinary approach to achieving this milestone involved
a team including physicians from cardiology, internal medicine
and emergency medicine, as well as nursing, pharmacy, laboratory,
radiology and a critical link, Emergency Medical Services (EMS). “The
Chest Pain Center accreditation is an exciting collaborative
System-wide project guided by evidence-based medicine,” explains
Jennifer Waxler, D.O., Medical Director of the Emergency
Department at Monmouth Medical Center, an affiliate of the Saint
Barnabas Health Care System. “This is a definite benefit
for patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes in terms of earlier
aggressive and preventative multidisciplinary treatment plans.”
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States,
with 600,000 people dying annually of heart disease. More than
five million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain.
The goal of the Society of Chest Pain Centers is to significantly
reduce the mortality rate of these patients by teaching the public
to recognize and react to the early symptoms of a possible heart
attack, reduce the time that it takes to receive treatment, and
increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment.
Achieving this prestigious designation means that the Saint
Barnabas Health Care System hospitals have met the stringent
standards required by the Society of Chest Pain Centers. The
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. “We can better evaluate
patients when it is not yet clear whether they are having a coronary
event,” explains Gary Rogal, M.D., Chief of Cardiology
for the Saint Barnabas Health Care System. “This evaluation
helps ensure that a patient is neither sent home too early nor
needlessly admitted. For those patients who are having a coronary
event,” he adds, “we can more rapidly diagnose and
treat them, ensuring that they are appropriately cared for.”
John A. Brennan, M.D., Senior Vice President of Clinical and
Emergency Services, and Nancy Holecek, R.N., Senior Vice President
of Patient Care Services for the Saint Barnabas Health Care System,
add that the System’s recent accreditation sends a clear
message to the community that we are committed to providing a
high level of cardiac care. "Our Emergency Departments quickly
assess and treat patients with chest pain to achieve the best
possible outcomes. We believe this is a significant resource
for our patients and the community."
With the rise of Chest Pain Centers in the United States came
the need to establish standards designed to improve the consistency
and quality of care provided to patients. The Society's accreditation
process insures centers meet or exceed quality-of-care measures
in acute cardiac medicine.
The Chest Pain Centers throughout the Saint Barnabas Health Care
System have demonstrated their expertise and commitment to quality
patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent
criteria and completing on-site evaluations by a review team
from the Society of Chest Pain Centers. Key areas in which a
Chest Pain Center must demonstrate expertise include:
• Integrating the emergency department with the local
emergency medical system
• Assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients quickly
• Effectively treating patients with low risk for acute
coronary syndrome and no assignable cause for their symptoms
• Having a functional design that promotes optimal patient
care
• Ensuring Chest Pain Center personnel competency and
training
• Maintaining organizational structure and commitment
• Continually seeking to improve processes and procedures
• Supporting community outreach programs that educate
the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms
of a possible heart attack
The Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) is an international
professional society focused on improving care for patients with
acute coronary syndromes and related maladies. Established in
1998, the Society is dedicated to patient advocacy and focusing
on ischemic heart disease. Central to its mission is the question, "What
is right for the patient?" In answer, the Society promotes protocol-based
medicine, often delivered through a Chest Pain Center model to
address the diagnosis and treatment of acute coronary syndromes,
heart failure, and to promote the adoption of process improvement
science by healthcare providers. SCPC is headquartered in Columbus,
Ohio.
The Saint Barnabas Health Care System is New Jersey’s
largest integrated delivery system. The System includes eight
acute care hospitals, nine nursing and rehabilitation centers
and three assisted living facilities, ambulatory care facilities,
geriatric centers, a statewide behavioral health network and
comprehensive home care and hospice programs. Our Emergency Departments
are among the busiest in New Jersey; Community Medical Center
is the busiest in the state, with Newark Beth Israel Medical
Center ranking second and Saint Barnabas Medical Center ranking
eighth out of 86 emergency departments statewide.
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