Florida Hospital DeLand Receives Area’s Only Cycle III Chest Pain Center Accreditation
By: Brandon Kellogg Deland, FL (March 9, 2010) –Florida Hospital DeLand has received the area’s only full Cycle III Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC), the highest designation given by the SCPC.
Florida Hospital DeLand is the first and only hospital in Volusia County to be a Cycle III Accredited Chest Pain Center with non-PCI (non-percutaneous coronary intervention).
“It shows that we are better equipped to handle the challenges presented when a patient has chest pain,” said Dr. Oscar West, Medical Director Cardiology Services. “Receiving this accreditation also reinforces our commitment to providing the best treatment for chest pain and being dedicated to continually improving our cardiac care.”
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.
Cycle III accreditation involves extensive involvement in chest pain quality improvements, extensive staff education training, higher staff credentials in cardiovascular diseases, and community education and outreach. The Chest Pain Center at Florida Hospital DeLand has demonstrated its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding the wide set of stringent criteria and completing on-site evaluations by a review team from the Society of Chest Pain Centers.
According to the Society of Chest Pain Centers, an accredited Chest Pain Center generally provides better care, better prognosis, better quality of life, faster treatment, and decreased length of stay in the hospital. Such hospitals help ensure that patients get the treatment they need during the early stages of a heart attack. The goal is to reduce the time – from arrival to the emergency department to treatment – to avoid as much heart damage as possible.
In addition, accredited Chest Pain Centers better integrate the emergency department with the local emergency services, ensure the competency and training of Chest Pain Center staff, and support community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack.
“We are proud to receive such an accreditation,” said Daryl Tol, CEO/President of Florida Hospital DeLand. “I am also proud of our staff’s hard work and commitment to continually improve our hospital. Obtaining Chest Pain Center Accreditation demonstrates our commitment and dedication to continually improve and provide exceptional care; in this case, cardiac care.”
About Florida Hospital DeLand
Florida Hospital DeLand, located at 701 West Plymouth Avenue in DeLand, was established in 1962 and is a 156-bed acute-care hospital. Florida Hospital DeLand is a part of the Adventist Health System; the largest Protestant not-for-profit hospital system in the nation and works to provide exceptional, patient-focused care to the DeLand community.
For more information about Florida Hospital DeLand, visit www.fhdeland.org.
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.
