South Baldwin Regional Medical Center was recently granted full chest pain center accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC). South Baldwin Regional Medical Center is the first and only hospital in south Alabama to receive this level of accreditation. Hospitals that receive SCPC accreditation have achieved a higher level of expertise in dealing with patients who arrive with symptoms of a heart attack. The accreditation process required close coordination between local EMS responders, South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, heart and vascular center, pharmacy, emergency and other departments throughout the hospital.

Prior to receiving accreditation, surveyors visited South Baldwin Regional Medical Center to assess the facility and protocols for rapid diagnosis and treatment of patients with chest pain and other heart attack symptoms.

As a chest pain accredited hospital, South Baldwin now has the processes in place to:

• Reduce the time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis and treatment 
• Treat patients more quickly during the critical window of time when the integrity of the heart muscle can be preserved 
• Monitor patients when it is not certain they are having a heart attack to ensure they are not sent home too quickly and to make sure they are receiving treatment for their condition in the most appropriate time frame.

"We are extremely proud of achieving accreditation as a chest pain center," says Keith Newton, CEO of South Baldwin Regional Medical Center. "It has been a rigorous process and our team has been working hard to meet this elite mark of excellence. This is yet another example of how we continue to raise the bar for the health and well being of our community."

The Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) is an international not-for-profit organization whose mission is to transform cardiovascular care by assisting facilities in their effort to create communities of excellence that bring together quality, cost and patient satisfaction. As the only cross-specialty Society, SCPC provides the support needed for hospital systems to effectively bridge existing gaps in treatment by providing the tools, education and support necessary to successfully navigate the changing face of healthcare. For more information on SCPC, accreditation and certification opportunities, visit www.scpcp.org, or call toll-free (877) 271-4176.

Only 12 percent of hospitals nationwide have full chest pain accreditation. For more information about South Baldwin Regional Medical Center’s new chest pain accreditation or South Baldwin Regional Medical Center’s Heart and Vascular Center please visit us at southbaldwinrmc.com.

Picture from left to right: Margaret Roley, Chief Nursing Officer, Wanda Stone, Chest Pain
Coordinator, Sharon Dunkin, Director of Quality, Keith Newton, Chief Executive Officer