SJCH’s Chest Pain Center receives American Heart Association’s Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation; First in Kern County, second in California
The Chest Pain Center at San Joaquin Community Hospital (SJCH) has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation. SJCH is the first hospital in Kern County and the second in the state of California to be given this distinction.
The accreditation program — sponsored by the American Heart Association and the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care — recognizes centers that meet or exceed quality of care measures for people experiencing the most severe type of heart attack, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), in which blood flow is completely blocked to a portion of the heart.
SJCH’s Chest Pain Center underwent numerous on-site reviews by accreditation specialists from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. To even be considered for this distinction, SJCH’s Chest Pain Center had to be:
- An Accredited Chest Pain Center (with the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care)
- An award-winning Chest Pain Center
- Consistent in performance measures for heart attack patients
- As a result of this latest accreditation, SJCH will display the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation certification mark.
“SJCH is thoroughly committed to providing our patients the highest quality cardiac care. Our mission is to save more patients’ lives, so when we receive this kind of recognition from the American Heart Association for doing what is already our No. 1 goal, that’s just an added bonus for our staff,” said Stella Williams, SJCH’s Chest Pain Center coordinator. “The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation has highlighted our accomplishments and will improve the overall treatment and care for our patients.”
The American Heart Association’s overall goal for Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation is to significantly reduce cardiac mortality in patients by teaching the public to recognize and react to early symptoms of a heart attack, reduce the time it takes to receive life-saving treatment and increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment administered.
For more information on the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation, visit www.heart.org/missionlifeline.
