SIOUX FALLS, S.D., Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society of Chest Pain Centers has granted the designation of Accredited Chest Pain Center to Heart Hospital of South Dakota-Sioux Falls, SD, making it the 1st accredited Chest Pain Center in South Dakota and the 63rd in the nation.
“In this day of evolving health care technology, we are able to deliver the quality care timely and efficiently. By becoming a nationally accredited chest pain center, the Heart Hospital of SD has demonstrated it is truly a center of excellence for cardiac care available in the region,” said Dr. Jeff Luther, Director of Emergency Department.
“Becoming an Accredited Chest Pain Center reflects the commitment of our physicians and staff to meeting the national standards for treatment of patients with heart disease and providing the highest quality of care available to our patients. When a patient is experiencing symptoms of a heart attack time is critical. Our system wide approach to patient management allows us to reduce the time to treatment during the critical early stages of a heart attack,” said Jean Skonhovd, Emergency Department Team Leader.
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States, with 600,000 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.
The 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 they are having a coronary event. Such observation helps ensure that a patient is neither sent home too early nor needlessly admitted.
With the rise of Chest Pain Centers 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 Center at Heart Hospital has demonstrated its 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
“This national recognition is one more step in recognizing Sioux Falls and the Heart Hospital of SD as being on the leading edge of health care in the country,” said Jon Soderholm, President - Heart Hospital of SD.
The Heart Hospital of South Dakota focuses our resources on heart and vascular disease. How to fight it. How to beat it. For patients we offer hope, compassion and a comprehensive approach to keeping the heart healthy and treating it when it’s not. For physicians, we are a powerful resource, specially designed and equipped to support the cardiovascular caregiver in the pursuit of a better way to provide heart care.
Our physicians are empowered to make medical decisions that implement their best judgment on behalf of the patient. We practice “Patient Focused Care,” a concept which includes assigning a team of six to eight highly trained caregivers to follow patients throughout their stay. This intimate approach promotes understanding, bonding and continuity of care. All of our patient rooms are private and fully equipped to meet the special needs of heart patients.
For more information please contact Kimber Severson at (605) 977-7022 or (kimber.severson@medcath.com).
About the Society of Chest Pain Centers
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. For more information, visit http://www.scpcp.org/ , or for more information on the Society of Chest Pain Centers, please contact Robert Weisenburger Lipetz, Executive Director at (614) 274-9710 or director@scpcp.org .
Society of Chest Pain Centers
CONTACT: Robert Weisenburger Lipetz, Executive Director of Society ofChest Pain Centers, +1-614-274-9710, or director@scpcp.org ; or KimberSeverson of Heart Hospital of South Dakota, +1-605-977-7022, orkimber.severson@medcath.com
Web site: http://www.scpcp.org/