Geisinger Wyoming Valley earns full Chest Pain Center Accreditation

Feb. 11, WILKES-BARRE - Geisinger Wyoming Valley has been granted the designation of Accredited Chest Pain Center by the Society of Chest Pain Centers.  The Accreditation Review Committee granted Geisinger Wyoming Valley full accreditation, making it the second in Pennsylvania and the 210th in the nation with this designation.

Kenneth Brin, MD, PhD, Director of Cardiology at The Heart Hospital, and Richard Garri, MD, Director of Emergency Services at Geisinger Wyoming Valley led the accreditation team in receiving the three-year certification. “This accreditation is an honor and a testament to the hard work and determination of the staff in the Heart Hospital and Emergency Department,” said Brin. “We are pleased to hold this highly specialized accreditation and serve patients in our area.”

Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States, with 600,000 dying annually of heart disease. More than five million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain. The goal of the Society of Chest Pain Centers is to significantly reduce the mortality rate of these patients by teaching the public to recognize and react to the early symptoms of a possible heart attack, reduce the time it takes to receive treatment, and increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment.

As an accredited chest pain center, Geisinger Wyoming Valley has demonstrated expertise including:

• 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
• Having a functional design that promotes optimal patient care
• Ensuring Chest Pain personnel competency and training
• Maintaining organizational structure and commitment
• Continually seeking to improve processes and procedures
• Supporting community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack.

Brin noted that Geisinger Wyoming Valley also has one of the few 24/7 heart attack programs in Luzerne County. After entering Geisinger’s Emergency Department and being diagnosed with an acute myocardial infarction, patients are sent to one of two cardiac catherization labs where they are treated 24 hours a day, seven days a week by a staff composed of highly trained nurses, technicians and cardiac physicians.

For more information on Geisinger Wyoming Valley and its programs, call 570-826-7717.

About the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC)
The Society of Chest Pain Centers is a patient centric non-profit international professional organization focused upon improving care for patients with acute coronary syndromes and other related maladies. Established in 1998, the Society is dedicated to patient advocacy and focusing on ischemic heart disease. Central to its mission is the question, “What is right for the patient?”  In answer, the Society promotes protocol-based medicine, often delivered through a Chest Pain Center model to address the diagnosis and treatment of acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, and to promote the adoption of process improvement science by healthcare providers. To best fulfill this mission, the Society of Chest Pain Centers provides accreditation to facilities striving for optimum Chest Pain Center care.  SCPC is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. 

For more information on the Society of Chest Pain Centers visit www.scpcp.org, or contact Robert Weisenburger Lipetz, Executive Director at (614) 442-5950 or director@scpcp.org.

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