Monroe, Ga. (Nov. 4, 2019) – Piedmont Walton Hospital recently achieved accreditation as a Chest Pain Center from The American College of Cardiology for its expertise in treating patients with chest pain.

“I’m very proud of our team for this achievement. This accreditation shows Piedmont Walton’s commitment to caring for cardiac patients,” said Candice Frix, RN, chief nursing officer (CNO) at Piedmont Walton. “Our multidisciplinary team of experts have worked hard to make this accreditation happen and our patients can rest assured knowing we hold ourselves to a higher standard.”

According to the American Heart Association, heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States, with 600,000 people dying annually of heart disease. Nearly half of all adults have some type of cardiovascular disease and more than 5 million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain.

An Accredited Chest Pain Center’s evidence-based, protocol-driven and systematic approach to cardiac patient care allows clinicians to reduce time to treatment during the critical early stages of a heart attack. Accredited facilities like Piedmont better monitor patients when it is not initially clear whether a patient is having a coronary event. Such monitoring ensures patients are neither sent home too early nor needlessly admitted.

Piedmont Walton is now one of eight Piedmont hospitals accredited as a Chest Pain Center.

By earning Chest Pain Center accreditation, Piedmont demonstrates expertise in the following areas:

• Integrating the emergency department with the local emergency medical system
• Assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients quickly
• Effectively treating patients at 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 Accredited Chest Pain Center personnel
• Maintaining organizational structure and commitment
• Constructing 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