Presbyterian Healthcare 
2004 News Releases
Presbyterian Hospital Matthews Named Accredited Chest Pain Center
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September 21, 2004 Contact: Katie Vick, Presbyterian Healthcare, 704-384-9869 |
Presbyterian Hospital Matthews has received the designation of Accredited Chest Pain Center from the Society of Chest Pain Centers.
"It is a great honor to be distinguished as an Accredited Chest Pain Center," said Paula Vincent, Presbyterian Hospital Matthews administrator. "This distinction confirms the dedication of Presbyterian Hospital Matthews' staff and the quality of our services."
More than five million Americans with chest pain visit hospitals each year. 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 at Presbyterian Hospital Matthews takes a protocol-driven and systematic approach to patient management that allows physicians to reduce time to treatment during the early stages of a heart attack, when treatments are most effective, and to better monitor patients when it is not clear if they are having a coronary event. Such observation helps ensure that a patient is neither sent home too early nor needlessly admitted.
"Presbyterian Hospital Matthew's administrative, medical and emergency staff all work together in a closely coordinated manner in response to chest pain emergencies," said Scott Soronen of the Society's Accreditation Review Team. "Their commitment in this area was clearly evident during our on-site visit."
To achieve accreditation, Presbyterian Hospital Matthews had to demonstrate 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
- Insuring Chest pain Center personnel competency and training
- Maintaining organizational structure and procedures
- Supporting community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack
Presbyterian Hospital Matthews is a 102-bed community hospital that provides a comprehensive range of health services and the area's only full-service medical library. Part of the Presbyterian Healthcare family, Presbyterian Hospital Matthews is affiliated with Novant Health, a private, not-for-profit health system in North Carolina. Presbyterian Hospital Matthews has received several Professional Research Consultants' Top Performer Awards, including 5-Star Overall Inpatient Services, 5-Star Medical Unit, and Overall Top Performer.
Novant Health has been nationally recognized as the "Best in Industry for Working Mothers" by Working Mother Magazine and one of the "Top 40 Family-Friendly NC Companies" by Charlotte Parent and Piedmont Parent magazines. Additionally, Novant Health has been named to the 2004 SMG Top 100 Integrated Healthcare Networks in the country.
Novant Health has been nationally recognized as the "Best in Industry for Working Mothers" by Working Mother Magazine and one of the "Top 40 Family-Friendly NC Companies" by Charlotte Parent and Piedmont Parent magazines. Additionally, Novant Health has been named to the 2004 SMG Top 100 Integrated Healthcare Networks in the country.
