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Press Release
BRIDGEPORT
HOSPITAL CHEST PAIN CENTER FIRST IN CONNECTICUT TO ACHIEVE
PRESTIGIOUS ACCREDITATION
Bridgeport,
CT— June 1, 2004. The Society of Chest Pain Centers
has granted the designation of Accredited Chest Pain Center
to Bridgeport Hospital, making it the first facility in
Connecticut and 42nd in the nation to be accredited.
"This
achievement is the latest validation of the expert,
high-quality care provided to our cardiac patients,"
says Dr. Stuart Zarich, Chief of Cardiology at Bridgeport
Hospital. "It was made possible through the hard work
and dedication of our emergency physicians, cardiologists,
nurses and other members of the Chest Pain Center
team."
Established
in 1994 and celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the
Chest Pain Center at Bridgeport Hospital was the first
service of its kind in Connecticut dedicated to the rapid
diagnosis and treatment of patients experiencing a heart
attack.
"Our
Chest Pain Center illustrates the important partnership
among medical specialties at Bridgeport Hospital," says
Dr. Michael Werdmann, the hospital's Emergency Department
Chairman. "Close cooperation between the Cardiology and
Emergency Departments has helped ensure the continued
success of the Chest Pain Center."
Heart
attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States,
with 600,000 dying annually of heart disease. More than five
million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain.
The goal of the Society of Chest Pain Centers 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.
The
Chest Pain Center’s protocol driven and systematic
approach to patient management allows physicians to reduce
time to treatment during the critical early stages of a
heart attack, when treatments are most effective, and to
better monitor patients when it is not clear whether they
are having a coronary event. Such observation helps ensure
that a patient is neither sent home too early nor needlessly
admitted.
With
the rise of Chest Pain Centers came the need to establish
standards designed to improve the consistency and quality of
care provided to patients. The Society’s accreditation
process insures centers meet or exceed quality-of-care
measures in acute cardiac medicine.
The
Chest Pain Center at Bridgeport Hospital has demonstrated
its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by
meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and
completing on-site evaluations by a review team from the
Society of Chest Pain Centers. Key areas in which a Chest
Pain Center must demonstrate expertise include:
·
Integrating the emergency department with the local
emergency medical system
·
Assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients quickly
·
Effectively treating patients with low risk for acute
coronary syndrome and no assignable cause for their symptoms
·
Having a functional design that promotes optimal patient
care
·
Ensuring Chest Pain Center personnel competency and training
·
Maintaining organizational structure and commitment
·
Continually seeking to improve processes and procedures
·
Supporting community outreach programs that educate the
public to promptly seek medical care if they have display
symptoms of a possible heart attack
About
Bridgeport Hospital
Bridgeport
Hospital is a member of Yale New Haven Health System
(YNHHS), the largest and most comprehensive integrated
health care delivery system in Connecticut. Yale New Haven
Health System is recognized for advanced clinical care,
quality, service, cost effectiveness and commitment to
improving the health statue of the populations it serves.
Yale New Haven Health System’s service area covers
portions of eastern New York, the state of Connecticut and
southwestern Rhode Island. Yale New Haven Health System is
committed to the making the best health care easier to use.
For more information, visit www.bridgeporthospital.com.
About the Society of Chest Pain Centers
The Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) is an international
professional society focused on improving care for patients with acute coronary syndromes and related maladies. The Society is committed to improving the quality of patient care through protocol-based medicine and the adoption of process improvement science to healthcare. SCPC is headquartered in Columbus , Ohio . For more information, visit www.scpcp.org .
For more information on Presbyterian Healthcare, contact Amy Philbeck, PR/Marketing Specialist at (704) 384.9798 or alphilbeck@novanthealth.org .
or more information on the Society of Chest Pain Centers, please contact Robert Weisenburger Lipetz , Executive Director at (614) 442-5950 or director@scpcp.org
Society Media Contact
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