Modesto, Calif. - Doctors Medical Center announces that it has received Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC), an international organization dedicated to eliminating heart disease as the number one cause of death worldwide.
Hospitals that have received SCPC accreditation 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.
To become an Accredited Chest Pain Center, Doctors Medical Center engaged in rigorous evaluation by SCPC for its ability to assess, diagnose, and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. To the community served by Doctors Medical Center, 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
· Monitoring patients when it is not certain that they are having a heart attack to ensure that they are not sent home too quickly or needlessly admitted to the hospital
“People tend to wait when they think they might be having a heart attack, and that’s a mistake,” states John Merillat, MD, Director of the Chest Pain Center. “The average patient arrives in the emergency
department more than two hours after the onset of symptoms, but what they don’t realize is that the sooner a heart attack is treated, the less damage to the heart and the better the outcome for the patient.”
Doctors’ Medical Center’s advanced healthcare encompasses the entire continuum of care for the heart patient and includes such focal points as dispatch, Emergency Medical System, emergency department, cath lab, Doctors Medical Center’s quality assurance plan, and Doctors Medical Center’s community outreach program. By becoming an Accredited Chest Pain Center, Doctors Medical Center has enhanced the quality of care for the cardiac patient and has demonstrated its commitment to higher standards.
About Doctors Medical Center
California, is a 465-bed acute care hospital located at 1441 Florida Ave. in Modesto, Calif. Doctors Medical Center offers a wide range of services, including the cardiology, neurology, emergency and trauma services, women and children’s services, orthopedics, medical/surgical, behavioral health, oncology and critical/intensive care. For more information on Doctors Medical Center, contact the Business Development Department at (209) 576-3500 or www.dmc-modesto.com.
About the Society of Chest Pain Centers
Established in 1998, SCPC is a patient-centric nonprofit international organization focused on improving care for patients with heart disease. Central to SCPC’s mission is the question, “What is right for the patient?” In response, SCPC promotes protocol-based medicine, often delivered through a chest pain center model, to address the diagnosis and treatment of acute coronary syndrome and heart failure and to promote the adoption of process improvement science by healthcare providers. To best fulfill this mission, SCPC provides accreditation and education to facilities striving for optimum cardiac care. SCPC is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information on SCPC and accreditation opportunities, visit www.scpcp.org, or call toll free 1-877-271-4176.
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