The East Carolina Heart Institute at Vidant Medical Center receives Chest Pain Center Accreditation with PCI | Eastern North Carolina Now

For Immediate Release:

    GREENVILLE     The East Carolina Heart Institute at Vidant Medical Center has received full accreditation with percuteous coronary intervention (PCI) from the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC).

    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.

    "The CPCA is a reflection of Vidant Medical Center's continued commitment to eastern North Carolina by developing programs for rapid identification, diagnosis and treat of cardiovascular disease," Dr. Brian Cabarrus, chest pain center director said.

    The Accredited Chest Pain Center at the Heart Institute 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 SPCP'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.

    "Vidant Medical Center's distinction as an accredited chest pain center is a result of incredible multi-disciplinary collaborations to continuously advance the processes by which we care for heart disease, from first contact by emergency medical services personnel to care in the emergency department to cardiac care in the hospital, in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for our patients," Dr. Theodore Delbridge, chief of emergency services at Vidant Medical Center said.


    About the Society of Chest Pain Centers

    The Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) is an international not-for-profit organization that focuses on transforming cardiovascular care by assisting facilities in their effort to create communities of excellence that bring together quality, cost and patient satisfaction. As the only cross-specialty organization, SCPC provides the support needed for individual hospitals and hospital systems to effectively bridge existing gaps in treatment by providing the tools, education and support necessary to successfully navigate the changing face of healthcare. For more information on SCPC, accreditation and certification opportunities, visit www.scpcp.org, or call toll free (877)271-4176.

    Contact: Carissa Etters, Strategic Development, (252)847-0413 or Carissa.Etters@VidantHealth.com