Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital Achieves Chest Pain Accreditation

The following article was submitted by Chris LaFortune, public relations agent with Midwest Adventist Hospitals:

Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital has earned accreditation as a ChestPain Center from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care.

The hospital was accredited with percutaneous coronary intervention status because it offers coronary angioplasty. The process involves the placement and inflation of a small balloon in a patient’s artery to reopen it following a blockage, restoring the flow of blood to the heart.

“The hospital received this accreditation because we provide outstanding cardiac care,” said Dr. Dominick Stella, the medical director in the cardiac cath lab atAdventist Bolingbrook Hospital. “I’d like to congratulate the administration for all the work it has done to earn this accomplishment.”

Surveyors with the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care analyzed the hospital’s acute cardiac patient care and the work of its cardiology department, said Rick Mace, the hospital’s chief executive officer.

“During their site visit, the surveyors from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care were impressed with our application, our processes, our staff and our overall program,” Mace said. “This achievement is a credit to the work of our entire team, including our cardiac unit leadership, our physicians and our nursing staff.”

Emergency Department physician Dr. Michael Korpics also praised the hospital for receiving accreditation, but said the hospital is working hard to provide even better care. For instance, staff continues to work with EMS crews to make sure cardiac patients are diagnosed quickly to receive the treatment they need.

“We’re proud to be part of the Adventist system,” Korpics said. “All of the hospitals have the capacity to accept STEMI patients. I’m proud to be part of the system and to be able to provide that care for people.”

A STEMI – or a ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction – is the most severe form of heart attack, said Michael Koerting, director of cardiac and imaging services at Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital. It occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery to the heart. To prevent death, blood flow must be restored immediately, either by surgically opening the blocked vessel or by giving clot-busting medication.

“This accreditation is proof of something that many of our patients already know,” Koerting said. “When people in our community face a cardiac emergency and are most in need of help, Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital is there for them.”

Stella said he considers Bolingbrook his home hospital when it comes to cardiac procedures.

“There isn’t a case that is too complex for the cath lab staff at Bolingbrook to handle,” Stella said.

A not-for profit organization focusing on cardiovascular care, the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care’s accreditation ensures centers meet or exceed quality-of-care measures in acute cardiac medicine. To earn accreditation, ChestPain Centers must complete on-site evaluations by a review team from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. 

Areas a Chest Pain Center must demonstrate expertise in include:

• 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 Chest Pain Center personnel competency and training;
• 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.

Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States, with 600,000 dying annually of heart disease. More than 5 million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain.