Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (WFBMC) has received Chest Pain Center accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC), an international organization dedicated to eliminating heart disease as the number one cause of death worldwide.
Wake Forest Baptist’s accreditation comes after a rigorous evaluation by SCPC designed to determine the institution’s ability to assess, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack.
Chest Pain Center accreditation means the medical center has processes in place that meet strict criteria aimed at reducing the time from the start of symptoms to diagnosis and treatment, treating patients more quickly during the critical window of time when heart muscle can be preserved. The criteria also address monitoring patients when it is not certain that they are having a heart attack to ensure that they are not sent home too quickly or are needlessly admitted to the hospital.
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center President and Chief Operating Officer Thomas E. Sibert, M.D., M.B.A., said, “Our Chest Pain Center accreditation confirms what many in our region have already experienced first-hand: Wake Forest Baptist has a higher level of expertise in dealing with patients who arrive with symptoms of heart attack. Through the use of innovative monitoring methods and standardized diagnostic and treatment programs, our cardiac team provides more efficient and effective evaluation for patients exhibiting chest pain and other symptoms of heart attack.”
Sibert added, “The medical center also serves as an important point of entry into the health care system, so we can evaluate and treat other medical problems, help promote a healthier lifestyle and attempt to reduce risk factors for heart attack.”
Wake Forest Baptist’s multi-disciplinary approach to emergent cardiac response encompasses a continuum of care that includes dispatch, transport, emergency medical system, emergency department, cardiac catheterization lab, as well as quality assurance, and community outreach programs.
Media Relations
Paula Faria: pfaria@wakehealth.edu, 336-716-1279