Kansas City, Mo.– St. Joseph Medical Center has earned Chest Pain Center Accreditation
from the Society of Chest pain Centers. St. Joseph undertook a rigorous
evaluation and refinement of heart care processes in order to integrate
the industry’s best practices into its cardiac care services. The
accreditation proves St. Joseph works seamlessly with area Emergency Medical
Services to ensure patients get the treatment they need during the critical
early stages of a heart attack.
As an Accredited Chest Pain Center, St. Joseph ensures patients who come
to the Emergency Department with chest pain or discomfort are given the
immediate treatment necessary to avoid as much heart damage as possible.
Protocol-based procedures developed by leading experts in cardiac care
are part of St. Joseph’s overall cardiac care services.
“This accreditation further demonstrates our dedication to excellence
and quality care for our patients,” says Mike Dorsey, CEO, St. Joseph
Medical Center. “It shows that when patients come to St. Joseph
they can trust us to provide the best possible outcomes in heart care.”
Heart attack warning signs:
- Chest discomfort—pressure, squeezing or pain; lasting more than a
few minutes, or comes and goes
- Discomfort or pain in the upper body—in one or both arms, the back,
neck jaw or stomach
- Shortness of breath
- Cold sweat
- Nausea or lightheadedness.
Any Mehaffey, the Director of Cardiac Services at St. Joseph says, “The
accreditation also emphasizes the importance of community education. We
need to remind people not to wait when they think they might be having
a heart attack. Don’t wait. Call 911. The sooner a heart attack
is treated, the less damage to the heart.” St. Joseph Medical Center
is a 310-bed facility providing a wide range of acute care and outpatient
services from a 24-hour emergency department to state-of-the-art cardiovascular care.
St. Joseph has earned the Magnet designation from The American Nurses Credentialing
Center for excellence in nursing services. The accredited Stroke Center
at St. Joseph provides advanced treatments available at few centers in
the Kansas City area and the Breast Center is a nationally recognized
leader in breast MRI biopsy. Visit St. Joseph on the Web at stjosephkc.com.