McDonald

Anderson Regional Medical Center has been re-accredited as a Chest Pain Center with PCI by the American College of Cardiology. Anderson is the only accredited chest pain center in Meridian, and one of eight centers in Mississippi.

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.

“The goal of the accreditation process is to significantly reduce the mortality rate of chest pain 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,” Dr. Kim McDonald, Emergency Medicine Physician and Medical Director of Anderson’s Emergency Department, said in a press release. 

Dr. Wes Bennett, Interventional Cardiologist with Cardiovascular Institute of the South, serves as the Medical Director of the accreditation process.

“Chest Pain Center accreditation should indicate to the community a commitment on the part of ARMC for quality acute care for those patients who present in the early critical stages of a heart attack,” he said in the release. “Our evidence based, protocol driven, and structured approach to acute care cardiology allows clinicians to quickly and efficiently assess those patients requiring timely treatment. Adequate implementation of these processes allows for patients to be better monitored to ensure that they are not sent home too early or needlessly admitted.”

“This re-accreditation follows a rigorous survey involving local EMS, as well as Anderson’s Emergency Department staff, CIS Cardiologists, Cath Lab staff and Nursing staff. Many processes, procedures and people work together to meet the criteria required to retain this accreditation,” added Jennifer Bell, RN, BSN, CCCC, Director of Cardiovascular Services at Anderson.

With the increase in chest pain centers came the need to establish standards and adopt best practices designed to improve the consistency and quality of care provided to patients. The accreditation process ensures that hospitals meet or exceed a wide set of stringent criteria and undergo a comprehensive onsite review by a team of accreditation review specialists.

Accredited hospitals have achieved a higher level of expertise in dealing with patients who arrive with symptoms of a heart attack. They emphasize the importance of standardized diagnostic and treatment programs that provide more efficient and effective evaluation as well as more appropriate and rapid treatment of patients with chest pain and other heart attack symptoms. They also serve as a point of entry into the healthcare system to evaluate and treat other medical problems, and they help to promote a healthier lifestyle in an attempt to reduce the risk factors for heart attack.

By achieving ACC’s Chest Pain Center with PCI Accreditation status, Anderson demonstrated expertise in the following areas:

· 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

“By continuing to meet the requirements of being an accredited chest pain center, our physicians and staff are demonstrating a strong commitment to provide patients with the most advanced cardiac care in this area,” commented John Anderson, President and CEO of Anderson Regional Health System.