HICKORY, NC – March 27, 2014 —Catawba Valley Medical Center
(CVMC) announces that it has received Chest Pain Center Accreditation
from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC). The SCPC is an
international not-for-profit organization that focuses on transforming
cardiovascular care by assisting facilities in their effort to create
communities of excellence that bring together quality, cost and patient
satisfaction.
To become an Accredited Chest Pain Center, CVMC engaged in rigorous evaluation
by SCPC for its ability to assess, diagnose, and treat patients who may
be experiencing a heart attack. To the community served by CVMC, this
means that processes are in place that meet strict criteria aimed at:
- Reducing the time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis and treatment
- Expediting treatment during the critical window when the integrity of a
patient’s heart muscle can be preserved
- Continually improving competencies and training of Accredited Chest Pain
Center personnel
- Monitoring patients when it is not certain that they are having a heart
attack to ensure that they are not sent home too quickly or needlessly
admitted to the hospital
- Engaging in educational outreach programs
“People tend to wait when they think they might be having a heart
attack, and that’s a mistake,” states Tony Rose, Catawba Valley
Medical Center President and CEO. “The average patient arrives in
the emergency department more than two hours after the onset of chest
pain symptoms, but what they don’t realize is that the sooner a
heart attack is treated, the less damage to the heart and the better the
outcome for the patient. Remember: time is muscle!”
By becoming an Accredited Chest Pain Center, CVMC has enhanced the quality
of care for the cardiac patient and has demonstrated its commitment to
higher standards.
About Catawba Valley Medical Center
– Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) in Hickory, N.C., is the region’s
largest not-for-profit, public healthcare system and serves the community
without direct funding from taxes. CVMC provides and promotes physical,
mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to
serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventive
medicine and acute care. CVMC has received three Magnet designations from
the American Nurses Credentialing Center and has been recognized with
three Women’s Choice Awards, being named one of
America’s
Best 100 Hospitals for Patient Experience in 2012 and 2013, a
2013 Best Hospital for Patient Experience in Obstetrics andone of
America’s Best Hospitals in Orthopedics in 2013 by WomenCertified®. CVMC received the 2013 QUEST® Award for High-Value Healthcare from Premier, recognizing a reduction
in harm, mortality, readmissions and costs, while improving the patient
experience and delivering evidence-based care. For more information, please visit
http://www.catawbavalleymedical.org.
About the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care – The Society of
Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC) is an international not-for-profit
organization whose mission is to transform cardiovascular care by assisting
facilities in their effort to create communities of excellence that bring
together quality, cost and patient satisfaction. As the only cross-specialty
Society, SCPC provides the support needed for hospital systems to effectively
bridge existing gaps in treatment by providing the tools, education and
support necessary to successfully navigate the changing face of healthcare.
For more information on SCPC, accreditation and certification opportunities, visit
http://www.scpcp.org, or call toll free 1-877-271-4176.