St.Joseph Hospital accredited as both a Chest Pain Center and Stroke Center of Excellence.

7/16/12 – KOKOMO, IN – St. Joseph Hospital has announced it has received Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC), an international not-for-profit organization that focuses on transforming cardiovascular care. To earn accreditation from SCPC, St.Joseph had to demonstrate a higher level of expertise in caring for patients who arrive with symptoms of a heart attack. St.Joseph was recognized for providing standardized diagnostic and treatment programs that provide more efficient and effective evaluation, as well as more appropriate and rapid treatment of patients experiencing chest pain and other heart attack symptoms. St.Joseph also serves as a point of entry into the healthcare system to evaluate and treat other medical problems, and it helps to promote a healthier lifestyle in an attempt to reduce the risk factors for heart attack.

To become an Accredited Chest Pain Center, St.Joseph Hospital underwent a rigorous evaluation by SCPC, which requires 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

"We are pleased to be recognized as a hospital that provides exceptional care for patients experiencing chest pain and signs of a heart attack," states Monette Allen, RN, manager of the St.Joseph Emergency Department. "By having a standardized diagnostic and treatment program in place, every member of the St.Joseph team knows what to do when a patient is experiencing chest pain and they can do it very quickly and effectively. We’re prepared to provide excellent care at St.Joseph and to quickly and safely transport patients to the St.Vincent Heart Center of Indiana when more advanced care is needed. Even with transport time, we consistently meet or exceed the national standards that are set to ensure patients receive appropriate care in a timely manner. This standard is based on the length of time between the patient’s arrival and when a cardiologist begins treatment. For us, it’s about getting each patient the care that patient needs in order to have the best possible outcome. When you have a serious cardiac issue, you want the doctor who handles hundreds or thousands of those types of cases and has an experienced team on hand for back up."

Hospital president Kathy A. Young, MS, FACHE, agrees that the partnership with the St.Vincent Heart Center of Indiana allows St.Joseph to give every patient access to world-class cardiovascular care. "We are very fortunate that St.Joseph Hospital is part of a health system that includes the St.Vincent Heart Center of Indiana," noted Young. "St.Vincent Heart Center of Indiana has been ranked #1 in Indiana for Cardiology Services for seven years in a row and#1 in Indiana for Coronary Interventional Procedures for seven years in a row. There’s a lot we can do at St.Joseph, but for more complex cases where intervention is required, there’s no better place to be in Indiana than the Heart Center."

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