Peru, Ind. (Oct. 3, 2011) – Dukes Memorial Hospital announces that 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 by assisting facilities in their effort to create communities of excellence that bring together quality, cost and patient satisfaction. Dukes Memorial Hospital is one of only 29 hospitals in the state of Indiana that has achieved this accreditation from the SCPC. For a hospital with the Critical Access designation, this is quite an accomplishment.
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, Dukes Memorial Hospital 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 Dukes Memorial Hospital, 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 Debra Close, CEO of Dukes Memorial Hospital. "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. Dukes Memorial Hospital's state-of-the-art healthcare encompasses the entire continuum of care for the heart patient and includes such focal points as dispatch, Emergency Medical System, Emergency Department, Dukes Memorial Hospital's quality assurance plan, and Dukes Memorial Hospital's community outreach program. By becoming an Accredited Chest Pain Center, our hospital has enhanced the quality of care for the cardiac patient and has demonstrated its commitment to higher standards."
About Dukes Memorial Hospital
Dukes Memorial Hospital is a health care organization with the primary mission of offering high quality, acute heart care and preventative medical care in a caring and compassionate manner to all people who live in, work in, or visit Miami County and its surrounding areas. Dukes Memorial Hospital is committed to building a healthier community. For more information on Dukes Memorial Hospital, contact Courtney Ogletree, Director of Marketing, at 765-472-8016 or click here.
About the Society of Chest Pain Centers
The Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) is an international not-for-profit organization whose mission is to transform 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 Society, SCPC provides the support needed for 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 1-877-271-4176.