BIRMINGHAM - AL -
Trinity Medical Center has received
full accreditation with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) from the Society
of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC).
"Achieving Chest Pain Center Accreditation with PCI has been a team
effort. This designation signifies the
dedication and commitment of our staff to providing comprehensive care to
individuals having chest pain as well as those diagnosed with heart disease,"
said Keith Granger, President and CEO of Trinity Medical Center.
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. SCPC's goal 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
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.
With the
increase in chest pain centers came the need to establish standards designed to
improve the consistency and quality of care provided to patients. SCPC's
accreditation process ensures that centers meet or exceed quality-of-care
measures in acute cardiac medicine.
