Fewer than one in five Colorado hospitals offers this level of expertise when treating patients with symptoms of a heart attack.
8-20-15 (Brighton, CO) Platte Valley Medical Center (PVMC) is pleased to announce that it has recently received full Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC). This accreditation means that patients with chest pain and heart attack symptoms will receive a higher level of care in Brighton – only one in five Colorado hospitals has achieved chest pain center accreditation.
“With 85% of heart damage occurring within the first two hours of a heart attack, it’s important to recognize and respond 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 that treatment,” explains PVMC’s Stroke and Chest Pain Clinical Coordinator Teresa Vanderford, RN, BSN.
Each year, more than five million Americans visit hospitals because of chest pain — nearly 2,000 in Brighton alone. It’s no surprise that heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States. As an Accredited Chest Pain Center, PVMC uses an evidence-based approach to care to reduce the time it takes to treat patients during the critical early stages of a heart attack. Such careful action ensures patients are neither sent home too early nor needlessly admitted to the hospital.
The Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care’s (CPC) Accreditation process ensures that hospitals meet or exceed a wide set of stringent criteria and undergo a comprehensive onsite review by a team of specialists. CPC Accredited hospitals have achieved a higher level of expertise in helping patients who arrive in the emergency room with symptoms of a heart attack. They emphasize the importance of standardized diagnostic and treatment programs that provide efficient and effective evaluation as well as appropriate and rapid treatment of patients with chest pain and other heart attack symptoms. They also serve as a point of entry to evaluate and treat other medical problems, and help promote a healthier lifestyle in an attempt to reduce the risk factors for heart attack.
“This is a great milestone for our patients and our community as it showcases that our hospital has combined evidence-based science, quality initiatives, and clinical best-practices to produce the most effective care and treatment for patients experiencing chest pain and heart-attack symptoms,” says PVMC’s Vice President of Operations Kurt Gensert.
