The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has once again determined that Vanderbilt University Medical Center has completed all mandatory requirements to be designated a Chest Pain Center with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) and Resuscitation.
Created in 2005, the Chest Pain Center examines the chest pain process from the first medical contact of a patient to hospital discharge, providing the best quality care for a patient exhibiting acute coronary syndrome symptoms.
This is the sixth time VUMC has been designated with accreditation from the ACC, which will last three years.
“The Division of Cardiology is delighted and grateful for the reaccreditation of our Chest Pain Center,” said Jane Freedman, MD, director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.
“This accreditation is important because this process improves cardiac patient outcomes and reduces variations in their care.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year approximately 805,000 people in the United States have a heart attack, and heart disease is still the nation’s leading cause of death for men and women.
Hospitals that have earned this accreditation have proven exceptional competency in treating patients with heart attack symptoms and have primary PCI available all day, every day of the year.
“This ACC accreditation means that our facility has a competitive advantage through an enhanced reputation for delivering cardiovascular patient care,” said Wendy Daigle, MSN, RN, CCRN, acute care coordinator of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute.
“We sought this accreditation to improve patient outcomes, boost CMS quality-of-care measures, decrease lengths of stay, improve emergency department throughput, streamline processes across departments, make a positive impact on the bottom line and enhance EMS relationships.”
Requirements for accreditation include taking part in a multifaceted clinical process that involves completing a gap analysis, examining variances of care, developing a plan of action, a rigorous onsite review and monitoring for sustained success.
The Chest Pain Center was first awarded accreditation by the ACC in 2006.
