Tallahassee Memorial has earned reaccreditation as a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation, providing the highest level of care for heart attack and cardiac arrest patients.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., January 13, 2021 – Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) has once again been recognized by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) as the Big Bend region’s only Accredited Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation. The highest level of accreditation for a Chest Pain Center, this designation reaffirms that TMH provides the most advanced and timely evidence-based care to patients in our community who have suffered a heart attack or cardiac arrest.
The ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation Accreditation is based on rigorous onsite evaluation of TMH’s medical staff and colleagues’ abilities to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack or cardiac arrest. The recognition is also a product of vital collaboration between TMH and several emergency medical services.
“This accreditation is a testament to the unmatched dedication and teamwork of our physicians, colleagues and first responders who work tirelessly to ensure our community has access to the exceptional emergency care we hope they’ll never need,” shared Mark O’Bryant, President & CEO of TMH. “As we strive to elevate the standards of healthcare practice and quality in our region, we evaluate the services most important to our community and neighbors. With the Southeastern United States experiencing some of the highest rates of cardiovascular disease in the nation, it’s vital that we provide the most advanced heart and vascular care close to home.”
The “Primary PCI” designation affirms that TMH uses a specialized treatment called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as the primary treatment for acute heart attacks; at TMH, PCI is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. This ensures that, no matter when their cardiac event occurs, patients experiencing an acute heart attack receive rapid treatment in TMH’s state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab to minimize damage to the heart muscle. One in four heart attack victims will have a severe enough heart attack to require PCI to open clogged arteries and restore blood flow to the heart.
The “Resuscitation” designation refers to TMH’s robust therapeutic hypothermia program for post-cardiac arrest patients. This treatment, also referred to as targeted temperature management, is designed to temporarily lower a patient’s body temperature to reduce the risk of brain damage that can occur when cardiac arrest causes a cessation of blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. TMH is the only facility in the region to offer this advanced treatment modality to improve patient outcomes.
“Most centers don’t have this level of accreditation. By earning it here at Tallahassee Memorial, we’re demonstrating to our community that we provide the highest level of care, even in the most complex cases,” shared William Dixon, IV, MD, interventional cardiologist and Chest Pain Center Medical Director at TMH. “Whether you’ve had a heart attack or cardiac arrest, timing is everything; patients need to be taken care of efficiently and effectively, making it crucial that they immediately seek care from the most skilled facility available. For our community, that’s TMH.”
As a top leader in the Southeast for complex and comprehensive cardiovascular care, TMH’s Heart & Vascular Center performs a wide spectrum of heart and vascular diagnostic and treatment services, as well as procedures available only at select centers throughout the country. Committed to providing patients access to the latest and most advanced treatment options and technology for heart and vascular care, TMH’s cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons perform more clinical research and advanced procedures than any other program in the North Florida and South Georgia region.
To learn more about the comprehensive cardiovascular services available at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, please visit TMH.ORG/Heart.
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About Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare
Founded in 1948, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) is a private, not-for-profit community healthcare system committed to transforming care, advancing health, and improving lives with an ultimate vision to elevate the standards of healthcare practice, quality and innovation in the region. Serving a 17-county area in North Florida and South Georgia, TMH is comprised of a 772-bed acute care hospital, a surgery and adult ICU center, a psychiatric hospital, multiple specialty care centers, three residency programs, 38 affiliated physician practices and partnerships with Doctors’ Memorial Hospital, Florida State University College of Medicine, UF Health, Weems Memorial Hospital and Wolfson Children’s Hospital. For more information, visit TMH.ORG.
About the American College of Cardiology
The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its more than 52,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.
For more information about ACC Accreditation Services, visit accreditation.acc.org, or call toll-free 1- 877-271-4176.
