Providence Hospital receives chest pain center accreditation with PCI
January 9, 2015
COLUMBIA, SC – Providence Hospital – Downtown received full accreditation with Percutaneous Intervention (PCI) from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC) on Dec. 31, 2014. Accreditation expires on March 22, 2018.
“This accreditation means that Providence Hospital is capitalizing on its strengths, identifying and improving processes, and consistently looking for opportunities to enhance cardiac care,” says Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer & Chief Nursing Officer Stephanie Simmonds, RN, MS, CENP, “Our staff works diligently to achieve this status and it reflects the quality of our services.”
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States, with 600,000 people dying annually of heart disease. More than 5 million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain. SCPC’s goal 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 Accredited 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 patients are neither sent home too early nor needlessly admitted.
With the increase in chest pain centers came the need to establish standards designed to improve the consistency and quality of care provided to patients. SCPC’s accreditation process ensures that centers meet or exceed quality-of-care measures in acute cardiac medicine.
The Accredited Chest Pain Center at Providence Hospital has demonstrated its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and undergoing an onsite review by a team of SPCP’s accreditation review specialists. Key areas in which an Accredited Chest Pain Center must demonstrate expertise include the following:
• 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
• Continually seeking to improve processes and procedures
• Ensuring the competence and training of Accredited Chest Pain Center personnel
• Maintaining organizational structure and commitment
• Having a functional design that promotes optimal patient care
• Supporting community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack
About Providence Hospitals, a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System:
Providence Hospitals is the leading provider of cardiovascular and orthopedic services in the Midlands. Providence is composed of two hospitals, 13 physician practices, a network of rehabilitation centers, two sleep centers, a school of cardiac diagnostics and an accredited chest pain center. In total, Providence employs more than 2,000 dedicated staff.
Founded in 1938 by the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, Providence is known statewide for outstanding clinical quality and compassionate care. The Providence open-heart surgery program has ranked consistently in the top 15 percent of open-heart programs for the past six and a half years. Both the orthopedics and cardiac services have received the South Carolina BlueCross BlueShield Blue Distinction Center designation. For more information, visit www.providencehospitals.com.
About the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care
The Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC) is an international not-for-profit organization that focuses on transforming cardiovascular care by assisting facilities in their efforts to create communities of excellence that bring together quality, cost and patient satisfaction. As the only cross-specialty organization, SCPC provides the support needed for individual hospitals and 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 www.scpcp.org, or call toll free 1-877-271-4176.
