OhioHealth Marion General Hospital has again received full Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC). Hospitals that receive this accreditation have achieved a higher level of expertise in caring for patients who show symptoms of a heart attack, ensuring that those with chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack receive the best treatment necessary during the time when heart muscle can be preserved.
The importance of standardized diagnostic and treatment programs providing more efficient and effective evaluation as well as more appropriate and rapid treatment of patients with chest pain and other heart attack symptoms are emphasized during the accreditation process. These hospitals serve as a point of entry into the healthcare system to evaluate and treat other medical problems, and help to promote a healthier lifestyle in an attempt to reduce the risk factors for heart attack.
To become an Accredited Chest Pain Center, Marion General Hospital engaged in rigorous evaluation by SCPC for its ability to assess, diagnose, and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. To Marion and the surrounding communities, this means that processes are in place that meet strict criteria aimed at reducing the time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis and treatment; treating patients more quickly during the critical window of time when the integrity of the heart muscle can be preserved; and monitoring patients when it is not certain they are having a heart attack to ensure that they are not sent home too quickly or needlessly admitted to the hospital.
In addition to the Chest Pain Center reaccreditation, the hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation. This relatively new accreditation program, sponsored by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the SCPC, recognizes centers that meet or exceed quality of care measures to people experiencing the most severe type of heart attack, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), in which blood flow is blocked to a portion of the heart. Marion General Hospital is one of the first hospitals to receive this accreditation.
“Marion General Hospital is thoroughly committed to providing our patients with the highest quality cardiac care,” said Joe Hooper, chief operating officer. “The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation is national recognition for our accomplishments and will improve the overall treatment and care for our patients.”
Through its accreditation program, the AHA hopes to significantly reduce cardiac death by teaching the public to recognize and react to early symptoms of a heart attack, reduce the time it takes to receive lifesaving treatment and increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment administered.
SCPC is an international not-for-profit organization committed to leading the fight to eliminate heart disease as the No. 1 cause of death worldwide. The SCPC focuses on transforming cardiovascular care by assisting facilities in their effort to create communities of excellence that bring together quality, cost and patient satisfaction.
OhioHealth Marion General Hospital is a member of OhioHealth, a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare organization based in Columbus, Ohio. For more information about Marion General Hospital, visit the hospital’s website at OhioHealth.com/MarionGeneral.
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