The Saint Barnabas Health Care System announced today that all six acute care hospitals in the System have again been awarded a three-year Accreditation as a Chest Pain Center for Cycle II by the Society of Chest Pain Centers. All six hospitals received Accreditation as Chest Pain Centers for Cycle I from the Society in 2005.
The Saint Barnabas Health Care System Accredited Chest Pain Centers at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston; Clara Maass Medical Center, Belleville; Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark; Community Medical Center, Toms River; Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch; and Kimball Medical Center, Lakewood began working on Cycle II Accreditation three years ago.
“Achieving Accreditation for Cycle II demonstrates the commitment of our teams of emergency and cardiology physicians and staff at each of the Saint Barnabas System’s hospitals to continually review and refine the way care is provided to all patients treated for acute coronary syndrome or a heart attack with the goal of providing the best outcomes possible for patients,” said Ronald J. Del Mauro, President and Chief Executive Officer, Saint Barnabas Health Care System. “We are exceedingly proud of this designation.”
The Society of Chest Pain Centers, founded in 1998, is a non-profit international society “whose primary purpose is to significantly reduce heart attack deaths” by improving emergency care for patients with acute coronary syndromes. In 2003, the Society inaugurated a national accreditation process through which it evaluates Chest Pain Centers across the country in order to ensure that these centers meet or exceed quality-of-care measures in emergency cardiac medicine. The accreditation process, established and administered by the Society of Chest Pain Centers, formalizes and standardizes this elite accreditation into 4 Cycles. Accreditation is granted by a formal Accreditation Committee only to a hospital whose Chest Pain Center meets or exceeds an extensive set of stringent criteria and then allows an on-site evaluation by a review team from the Society of Chest Pain Centers.
Accreditation signifies that a Chest Pain Center has developed and implemented processes and procedures for evaluation and treatment using best practices by organizations such as the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC). These include EMS response to a 911 call; Emergency Department evaluation and treatment using t-PA- the drug used to break up clots in the coronary arteries or emergency cardiac intervention procedures such as angioplasty; and diagnostic evaluation using cardiac stress testing and other tests. Saint Barnabas, Clara Maass, Newark Beth Israel, and Community Medical Centers, received Chest Pain Center Accreditation with Primary PCI. Accreditation with Primary PCI signifies that the hospitals meet the criteria recommended by the AHA and ACC for emergency treatment for victims of a heart attack using coronary interventions such as balloon angioplasty or implantation of stents.
Additionally, there is a requirement to provide education about acute coronary syndrome and heart attack to the community. Saint Barnabas Health Care System offers at no charge access to Cardiac Risk Assessment on the web at www.saintbarnabas.com/services/cardiac/.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
FROM THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
- “Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
For Women - although the most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort, women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
Learn the signs, but remember this: Even if you are not sure it is a heart attack, have it checked out. Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives. Don’t wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1.
