Scott & White Hospital – Round Rock Once Again Receives Full Chest Pain Center Accreditation with PCI

Newswise — (June 8, 2015) –Scott & White Hospital – Round Rock has just received renewal of its full Chest Pain Center Accreditation with Primary PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. The hospital initially earned this certification in 2011.

Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States. 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.

“Time is one of the critical elements when a person is having a heart attack,” said Rob Watson, MD chief medical officer for Baylor Scott & White Austin/Round Rock Region. “The sooner a heart attack is recognized and treated, the less damage to the heart and the better the outcome for the patient.”

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.

The Accredited Chest Pain Center at Scott & White Hospital – Round Rock has demonstrated its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and undergoing an onsite review by a team of SCPC’s accreditation review specialists.

Key areas in which an Accredited Chest Pain Center must demonstrate expertise include the following:

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 Continually seeking to improve processes and procedures Ensuring the competence and training of Accredited Chest Pain Center personnel Maintaining organizational structure and commitment Having a functional design that promotes optimal patient care Supporting community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack.

For more information, visit roundrock.sw.org