At The Med, our Cycle III Chest Pain Center is recognized for its timely assessment and initial treatment of heart attacks.* Our team’s average door-to-balloon time in March 2013 was 44 minutes – significantly less than the national goal of 90 minutes or less. Door-to-balloon time is the amount of time it takes for a person experiencing a heart attack to get from the E.R. doors to the cath lab where a balloon is inserted into a heart vessel to help restore blood flow.** So when your heart needs care, don’t waste time. Choose The Med.
“I want to express my gratitude to the doctors, nurses and staff at the College Station Medical Center for the care that I received during my heart attack on the morning of August 13th 2012. Dr. Bilhartz and the staff met the ambulance outside the hospital, wheeled me directly into the heart cath lab where the blockage was identified and handled in an incredibly expeditious manner, resulting in very little heart damage. I was told it was 23 minutes from the door to balloon time. I know from my own research that the national average is 90 minutes. The care in both the ICU and on the telemetry floor was excellent as well. My family and I are thankful for the excellent care I received from your knowledgeable nurses and staff.” - Joe
Joe Dannenbaum MS, ATC, CSCS
Firefighter 472
The goal of The Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care 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.
What is Early Heart Attack Care? Find out.
The Chest Pain Center at College Station Medical Center has demonstrated its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and completing on-site evaluations by a review team from The Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. Key areas in which a Chest Pain Center must demonstrate expertise include:
- 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 Chest Pain Center personnel competency and training
- 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
For more information on The Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care visit www.scpcp.org.
*Chest Pain Center Accreditation by The Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. **Comparative data for door-to-balloon times reported on www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for heart attacks requiring angioplasty. Average door-to-balloon for September 2012. National goal is 90 minutes or less for at least 75% of patients. Additional references can be found through the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA). If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.