Wheeling Hospital's has been named as one of only 14 hospitals in the nation to become an accredited Mission: Lifeline Heart Attack Receiving Center for its treatment of the most severe type of heart attack.

The accreditation was jointly granted by the American Heart Association and the Society of Chest Pain Centers.

In addition, as part the accreditation process, Wheeling Hospital's status as the region's only Certified Chest Pain Center with PCI was renewed for another three years by the Society of Chest Pain Center. PCI -- or percutaneous cardiac intervention – is the use of balloon angioplasty and stents.

"The recognition from both organizations is evidence of our cardiac care team's dedication to addressing chest pain, heart attacks and heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S.," Ron Violi, Wheeling Hospital chief executive officer, said in a news release.

Violi said he has had many area residents tell him they are thankful to have one of the nation's top chest pain and heart attack centers so close to home.

"When you think about the thousands of hospitals in the U.S., it's remarkable to have this kind of care in our region. But then again, we have a remarkable cardiac team of nurses, cardiologists, emergency physicians and radiographers working in concert with area emergency medical services personnel," he said. "Our team combines the latest science with a strong commitment to patient care. This leads to quick and effective action to save lives, from our Emergency/Trauma Center to our Cardiac Cath Lab."

The news release stated that the accreditation is earned by hospitals that meet or exceed quality of care measures for people experiencing the most severe type of heart attack – an ST-elevation myocardial infarction. A STEMI involves the complete blockage of blood flow to a portion of the heart.

The purpose of the accreditation program is to significantly reduce cardiac death in patients by teaching the public to recognize and react to early symptoms of a heart attack, reduce the time it takes to receive life-saving treatment and increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment administered, the release stated.

"When an artery is blocked, the heart is starved of oxygen-rich blood and heart muscle begins to die. As each second passes, the chance of permanent heart damage or death increases. The AHA is recognizing how quickly and effectively we treat this critical situation. Day or night, we stand at the ready," said Dr. Robert Fanning, Wheeling Hospital's Cardiac Care Center director.

The Chest Pain Center with PCI re-certification means that Wheeling Hospital demonstrated expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and undergoing an onsite review by a team of Society of Chest Pain Centers accreditation review specialists.

"It's not just the work we do in the Emergency/Trauma Center and Cardiac Cath Lab, it's also what we do in the community to educate the public about heart attack symptoms and what to do. It's this complete package that is helping us make headway in the community," Fanning said.

The news release stated that,with the increase in chest pain centers came the need to establish standards designed to improve the consistency and quality of care provided to patients. SCPC's accreditation process ensures that centers meet or exceed quality-of-care measures in acute cardiac medicine.

Key areas in which an Accredited Chest Pain Center must demonstrate expertise are:

• 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 the competence and training of Chest Pain Center personnel.
• 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.

"We have a Chest Pain Center Committee comprised of medical and non-medical employees, as well as members of local emergency squads working in unison throughout the year to ensure we meet the high standards of both the AHA and SCPC. In doing so, we are developing what are known as 'systems of care.' This ensures we're delivering the highest level of care to our patients," said Andrea Dobkin, nurse manager of Wheeling Hospital's Cardiac-Neurovascular Center and coordinator of the Chest Pain Center.

Fanning and Dobkin recognized the Wheeling and Cumberland Trail fire departments, as well as emergency dispatchers for their contributions to the Chest Pain Committee.