Chest Pain Center

When you're having a heart attack, time equals heart muscle - the longer it takes to unclog a blockage, the more damage your heart will sustain. At AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center's accredited Chest Pain Center (available at both campuses), patients experiencing chest pain can quickly receive the treatments they need.

+ Time Out for Health featuring Claire Brown, Chest Pain Coordinator at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center

In 2004, The Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) granted the designation of Accredited Chest Pain Center to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center (ARMC) Mainland and City campuses making them the first and second accredited Chest Pain Centers in New Jersey, and the 59th and 60th in the nation. The Chest Pain Center is a "virtual" unit that uses proven protocols to evaluate, monitor and treat patients during the critical early stages of heart attacks, when treatments are most effective. Read more about what accreditation means here.

Because we are the region's only provider of this critical emergency service, the State of New Jersey has designated ARMC as its first and only Chest Pain Center.

To ensure patients having heart attacks get the care they need rapidly, AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center offers 24-hours, seven-day access to emergency catheterization services. We transport patients from area hospitals and activate our rapid response team of cath lab doctors and staff to ensure a speedy intervention.

In the 1980s, researchers discovered that a patient's recovery from heart attack depended on how quickly the clogged artery was reopened. At that time, doctors used medications to reopen clogged vessels. However, medication didn't work for every patient, prompting researchers to look for other solutions. The result was coronary angioplasty with or without stenting. This procedure, also known as primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), is currently the most effective treatment for heart attack.

To achieve accreditation as a Chest Pain Center, a hospital must demonstrate expertise in these key areas:

• Integrating the emergency department with the local emergency medical system
• Assessing, diagnosing and treating chest pain patients in accordance with current American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association AHA guidelines
• Effectively treating patients who are at low risk for acute coronary syndrome and who have no assignable cause for their symptoms
• Having a functional design that promotes optimal patient care
• Ensuring Chest Pain Center personnel competency and training
• Maintaining organizational structure and commitment
• Continually seeking to improve processes and procedures
• Supporting community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they have symptoms of a possible heart attack

The Chest Pain Coordinator ensures timely and appropriate delivery of care for each patient from the time a patient calls 911 to discharge from the hospital. The Chest Pain Coordinator also takes part in community outreach programs to educate all age groups about heart disease prevention and early heart attack care.

The Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) is an international professional society focused on improving care for patients with acute coronary syndromes and related maladies. Established in 1998, The Society is dedicated to patient advocacy and focusing on ischemic heart disease. Central to its mission is the question, "What is right for the patient?" In answer, The Society promotes protocol-based medicine, often delivered through a Chest Pain Center model to address the diagnosis and treatment of acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, and to promote the adoption of process improvement science by healthcare providers. SCPC is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit www.scpcp.org.

For more information:

Call the AtlantiCare Access Center at 1-888-569-1000.

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