Willis-Knighton has received Full Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. Willis-Knighton is the only local facility that has achieved this designation.

“This accreditation, and the protocols associated with it, are focused on the Willis-Knighton Heart Institute on the campus of Willis-Knighton Medical Center,” said Kathy Walker, director of the Heart Institute. “However, the same protocols are followed throughout the health system to assure continuity of care for all patients. It demonstrates our health system’s and our cardiovascular and emergency physicians’ dedication to a high level of excellence in cardiovascular care.”

Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States with 600,000 people dying annually of heart disease. More than 5 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.

An Accredited Chest Pain Center’s evidence-based, protocol-driven and systematic approach to cardiac patient care allows clinicians to reduce time to treatment during the critical early stages of a heart attack. Accredited facilities better monitor patients when it is not initially clear whether or not a patient is having a coronary event. Such monitoring ensures patients are neither sent home too early nor needlessly admitted.

By achieving the three-year SCPC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation status, Willis-Knighton demonstrates expertise in the following areas:

• Integrating the emergency department with the local emergency medical system;

• Assessing, diagnosing and treating patients quickly;

• Effectively treating patients at 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;

• Constructing a functional design that promotes optimal patient care; and

• Supporting community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack.