Recent Articles & News:
- May 2012 Newsletter
- SCPC Visits Guangzhou Military Hospital in China
- Statistics Part 3: What are the Odds?
- Congratulations to the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals
- Dr. Bahr: The Power of An Idea
- Are you attending any of these conferences? Visit with us!
- SCPC Supports the Yale Heart Study!
- Congratulations to the Accredited Hospitals in the Top 100
Discover the SCPC:
- Learn how to become accredited
- Detect the early signs of a heart attack
- Purchase your Accreditation Toolkit
- Find an accredited center near you
Meet our Experts
Dr. Raymond Bahr is passionate about cardiac care and preventive education. As the founding father of SCPC, his passion to disseminate lifesaving information is a driving force at SCPC. Throughout his career, he has created multiple programs to help others understand the life saving measures that can save a life. In 1981 at St. Agnes Hospital, Dr. Bahr established the Chest Pain Emergency Department (CPED), the first such unit in the world. The initial purpose of this CPED was prompt and effective treatment of patients presenting with heart attack/sudden death. The CPED was coupled with an aggressive education program that taught the community the early warning signs of a heart attack. This education program extended to middle and high school students via health and science curricula.
Get the urgent care in the critical minutes
Find the accredited facility near you
During a cardiac emergency, every second counts to prevent long-term damage to the heart. The Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) delivers Chest Pain Center Accreditation and Critical Access Hospital Chest Pain Accreditation. Discover the accredited facility that is closest to you by reviewing our interactive map. This map provides you with the information on the accreditation of each facility. Please note that all of the facilities that are listed are current on their accreditation.
Recognize the signs:
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest. The discomfort lasts for more than a few minutes or it may go away and come back. The discomfort may feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. This may include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
- Shortness of breath may occur with or before chest discomfort.
- Other symptoms may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness. Treatments are most effective when they occur in the early stages of chest pain.
SCPC - Because every heart matters
The Society of Chest Pain Centers promotes early symptom recognition. It is understood that heart attack symptoms may appear days or even weeks before an actual cardiac event. Through the Society’s “Early Heart Attack Care” (EHAC) initiative, both clinicians and patients alike are encouraged to recognize these early signs, in themselves and in others, and pursue treatment before an actual heart attack occurs. The EHAC initiative endeavors to provide pertinent education related to early symptom recognition and asks that everyone join in this initiative in order to save lives by committing to this cause.