St. Peter’s Health Partners Hospitals Reaccredited as National Chest Pain Centers

St. Peter’s Health Partners (SPHP) acute care hospitals have received national Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

By demonstrating their expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent ACC criteria and undergoing an on-site review, St. Peter’s, Samaritan, and Albany Memorial hospitals earned the accreditation for a second time.

The three SPHP hospitals, which first received the accreditation in 2015, are the only hospitals in the Capital Region to have earned ACC Chest Pain Center Accreditation.

“Earning reaccreditation as a national Chest Pain Center reflects the commitment of St. Peter’s Hospital, Samaritan Hospital, and Albany Memorial Hospital to providing the highest quality cardiac care for patients in the Capital Region,” said James Reed, M.D., president and chief executive officer of SPHP. “By significantly reducing the amount of time it takes patients with chest pain to be seen by a physician, we are helping to ensure patients receive the appropriate, life-saving care during the critical early stages of a heart attack.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 730,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. The most common symptom of a heart attack for both men and women is chest pain or discomfort. However, women are more likely to have atypical symptoms.

Other heart attack symptoms include, but are not limited to, tingling or discomfort in one or both arms, back, shoulder, neck or jaw, shortness of breath, cold sweat, unusual tiredness, heartburn-like feeling, nausea or vomiting, sudden dizziness, and fainting.

St. Peter’s Hospital and Samaritan Hospital earned ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation. PCI, or percutaneous coronary intervention, is also known as coronary angioplasty. The minimally invasive procedure opens narrowed or blocked coronary arteries with a balloon to relieve symptoms of heart disease or reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack.

To achieve Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation, St. Peter’s and Samaritan hospitals have proven exceptional competency in treating patients with heart attack symptoms and have primary PCI available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

As required to meet the criteria of the accreditation designation, St. Peter’s Hospital and Samaritan Hospital have streamlined their systems from admission to evaluation to diagnosis and treatment all the way through to appropriate post-discharge care and recommendations and assistance in patient lifestyle changes. Additionally, they have formal agreements with other facilities that regularly refer heart attack patients to each facility for primary PCI.

“St. Peter’s and Samaritan hospitals have demonstrated their commitment to providing the Capital Region with excellent heart care,” said Phillip D. Levy, M.D., FACC, chair of the ACC accreditation management board. “ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award St. Peter’s Hospital and Samaritan Hospital with Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation.”

Hospitals receiving Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation from the ACC must take part in a multifaceted clinical process, which involves completing a gap analysis, examining variances of care, developing an action plan, a rigorous onsite review, and monitoring for sustained success.

Improved methods and strategies of caring for patients include streamlining processes, implementing guidelines and standards, and adopting best practices in the care of patients experiencing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria and have organized a team of doctors, nurses, clinicians, and other administrative staff who earnestly support the efforts leading to better patient education and improved patient outcomes.

Albany Memorial Hospital earned Chest Pain Center Accreditation from ACC. To receive this distinction, the hospital engaged in a rigorous evaluation by ACC, and was reviewed for its ability to assess, diagnose, and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack.

Chest Pain Center Accreditation designation is for facilities that do not have 24-hour primary PCI coverage every day of the year, but do have receiving centers where they send patients for primary PCI. These facilities have a robust, detailed referral protocols in place – including written agreements with emergency medical services and air transport agencies.

To learn more about chest pain and heart attack warning signs, visit http://www.sphp.com/chest-pain.

About the American College of Cardiology

The American College of Cardiology is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College and its more than 52,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The

College operates national registries to measure and improve care, offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications.

To learn more about the American College of Cardiology, visit https://www.acc.org.