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St. John Medical Center Receives Full Accreditation For Chest Pain Center

First Center in Cuyahoga County to Meet Stringent Standards and Receive National Recognition

WESTLAKE, OH – Chest pain programs were first developed within community hospitals in the 1980s in an effort to provide more rapid treatment of patients to significantly reduce heart attack deaths. The Society of Chest Pain Centers estimates there are more than 1,500 chest pain programs in operation today. Of those, however, only a select percentage has achieved full Chest Pain Center accreditation. Within the past month, St. John West Shore Hospital earned the distinct honor of joining this elite group. It is the first chest pain program in Cuyahoga County to receive full accreditation.

"This accreditation represents a major step for our hospital," said Kirby O. Smith, president and CEO of St. John Medical Center. "It signifies to the rest of the community that we have taken our cardiovascular services to a new level of care."

The accreditation process itself took several months, during which time the hospital had to meet strict national criteria set forth by The Society of Chest Pain Centers regarding the hospital’s ability to provide rapid diagnosis and treatment for patients experiencing symptoms of acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

To achieve Accredited Chest Pain Center status, St. John Medical Center had to successfully complete the Society’s formal process in the following eight areas:

  • Emergency Department integration with Emergency Medical System
  • Emergency assessment of patients with symptoms of possible ACS
  • Assessment of patients determined to have low to modern risk of ACS
  • Functional facility design
  • Personnel, competencies and training
  • Organizational structure
  • Process improvement orientation
  • Community outreach program

St. John Medical Center is also in the process of pursuing accreditation for its Stroke Center and is working toward achieving Level III Trauma Center designation. Once this process is completed, St. John West Shore will be the closest and only Level III trauma services provider for Lorain County residents.

"Our hospital is committed to providing both consistent and quality, compassionate care," said Smith. "By achieving these national distinctions, we believe we are in a better position to instill patient confidence that our hospital has the resources, training and knowledge to handle nearly any emergency situation."

For more information about the St. John West Shore Chest Pain Center, call Linda Owen, RN, Clinical Manager, CCU at 440.827.5503.

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