Hospital’s accredited Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation provides critical, swift care for patients with heart attack symptoms
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Friday, Oct. 6, 2023) – Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) was recently awarded the Chest Pain Center Accreditation with Primary PCI and Resuscitation by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) based on rigorous onsite evaluation of hospital colleagues’ ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. TMH has demonstrated expertise and commitment in treating patients with chest pain to maintain this accreditation for 15 years.
“Each year, we evaluate more than 9,000 patients experiencing symptoms related to heart conditions,” said Daniel Cavallo, Service Line Administrator for Cardiovascular Services at TMH. “Our ACC reaccreditation is important because it indicates our hospital has the processes and teams in place to effectively reduce the time to treatment during the critical early stages of a heart attack or other heart-related problem, which improves patient outcomes. As an Accredited Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation, we have provided the most advanced and timely care for patients faced with heart conditions in this region.”
For patients experiencing heart attack symptoms, the most damage occurs within the first two hours so time to treatment is crucial. As a leader in the Southeast for complex and comprehensive cardiovascular care, TMH performs advanced life-saving techniques to treat patients experiencing a heart attack, including percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and therapeutic hypothermia. These services were evaluated and applauded during the ACC accreditation process.
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as coronary angioplasty, is a procedure that opens narrowed or blocked coronary arteries with a balloon to relieve symptoms of heart disease or reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack. One in four heart attacks are severe enough to require PCI to restore blood flow to the heart, and it is TMH’s primary treatment for severe heart attacks.
TMH’s targeted temperature management (TTM) program is a resuscitation method for post-cardiac arrest treatment that reduces brain and organ damage caused from lack of oxygen during a heart attack. TTM lowers a patient’s body temperature and aids in reducing inflammation and fever to restore normal blood flow.
“TMH has demonstrated its commitment to providing the Big Bend region with excellent heart care,” said Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, FACC, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board. “ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award TMH with Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation Accreditation.”
As part of the Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation Accreditation from the ACC, TMH took part in a multi-faceted clinical process that involved completing a gap analysis, examining variances of care, developing an action plan, a rigorous onsite review and monitoring for sustained success. TMH has met or exceeded the ACC’s stringent criteria and has an organized a team of doctors, nurses, clinicians and colleagues ready to respond 24/7, 365 days a year for the best possible patient outcomes when it comes to chest pain care.
Knowing the early signs of a heart attack and acting quickly can save your life. For resources, including how to understand your risk for heart disease and warning signs, visit TMH.ORG/HeartResources.
