Baptist Health Paducah earns sixth consecutive Chest Pain Center reaccreditation
(PADUCAH, KY) November 28 - Baptist Health Paducah has once again been recognized for its commitment to providing the region with excellent heart care. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has awarded Baptist Health Paducah the Chest Pain Center Accreditation with Primary PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) for the sixth consecutive year. In addition to this, the ACC accredited our team in Resuscitation.
“Earning the Chest Pain Accreditation with Primary PCI and Resuscitation and being a distinguished HeartCARE Center sets us apart from other facilities,” said Amy Osbron, BSN, RN, Chest Pain Coordinator. “We want all of our patients to receive the same high-quality care regardless of the time of day or even during a pandemic.”
The resuscitation team at Baptist Health Paducah offers the best chance of survival when cardiac arrest occurs. During cardiac arrest, the heart stops and cannot pump blood to the rest of the body, including the lungs and brain. The resuscitation team is a multidisciplinary group consisting of doctors, nurses, respiratory experts, laboratory staff, chaplains and others. They train to ensure prompt attention, and offer an effective team approach utilizing lifesaving skills.
The goal of Baptist Health Paducah and the ACC 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. “Baptist Health has the cardiac care services that keep you close to home,” said Osbron. “You and your family do not have to travel 2 hours or more to get expert care.”
Hospitals that have earned ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation Accreditation have proven exceptional competency in treating patients with heart attack symptoms and have primary PCI available 24/7 every day of the year. As required to meet the criteria of the accreditation designation, they comply with standard Chest Pain Center protocols and are equipped with a robust hypothermia program for post-cardiac arrest treatment. These facilities also maintain a "No Diversion Policy" for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.
Baptist Health Paducah became the region’s first accredited chest pain center in 2008 and has maintained high standards for re-accreditation Five times since then. The three-year accreditation is based on rigorous evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. Baptist Health Paducah has traditionally set the bar in heart care since offering the first open heart surgery here in 1985.