News

Shasta Regional Medical Center Received Full Cycle III Accreditation From the Society of Chest Pain Center.

Redding, CA – December 2, 2009 - Shasta Regional Medical Center has received its Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Center making it the only full Cycle III accredited Chest Pain Center in the North State, the third in the state out of 548 in the nation.

In November Shasta Regional Medical Center underwent a rigorous evaluation of heart care procedures and 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 Chest Pain Centers. 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

“Our staff is trained and prepared to identify a coronary event and start treatment in the critical early stages of a heart attack, when treatments are most effective” says Dr. Weist, Emergency Department Director.

The designation of a Full Cycle III Accredited Chest Pain Center establishes Shasta Regional Medical Center as a premier hospital for acute cardiac care.  This accreditation communicates that the hospital offers a full-spectrum emergency cardiac care program, offering rapid diagnosis and fast track treatment, often preventing a severe heart attack from occurring.

Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States, with 600,000 dying annually of heart disease. More than five million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain. The goal of the Society of Chest Pain Centers 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.

About the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC)
The Society of Chest Pain Centers is a patient centric non-profit international professional organization focused upon improving care for patients with acute coronary syndromes and other 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.  To best fulfill this mission, the Society of Chest Pain Centers provides accreditation to facilities striving for optimum Chest Pain Center care.  SCPC is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. 

For more information on the Society of Chest Pain Centers visit www.scpcp.org, or contact Kay Styer Holmes, RN BSN MSA, Director of Accreditation Services (614) 442-5950 or kholmes@scpcp.org.

About Prime Healthcare Services
Prime Healthcare Services, Victorville, CA, is a progressive, innovative and rapidly expanding hospital management company in Southern California. The mission of PHS is to provide comprehensive quality healthcare in a compassionate, convenient and cost-effective manner.  With more than 8,000 employees, PHS, by and through its subsidiaries, currently owns and operates thirteen acute care hospitals:  Centinela Hospital Medical in Inglewood (370- beds), Chino Valley Medical Center in Chino (126- beds), Desert Valley Hospital in Victorville (83- beds), Encino Hospital Medical Center in Encino(151-beds), Garden Grove Hospital Medical Center in Garden Grove (167-beds), Huntington Beach Hospital in Huntington Beach (141-beds), La Palma Intercommunity Hospital in La Palma (131-beds), Montclair Hospital Medical Center in Montclair (102-beds), Paradise Valley Hospital in National City (301-beds), San Dimas Community Hospital in San Dimas (93-beds), Shasta Regional Medical Center (246-beds), Sherman Oaks Hospital and the Grossman Burn Center in Sherman Oaks (153-beds), and West Anaheim Medical Center in Anaheim (219-beds) in California.  For more information, please visit www.primehealthcare.com