Bryn Mawr Hospital and Lankenau Medical Center Receive Chest Pain Center Re-Accreditation with PCI

Bryn Mawr Hospital and Lankenau Medical Center have received Chest Pain Center re-accreditation with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC), an international not-for-profit organization that focuses on transforming cardiovascular care by assisting facilities in their effort to create communities of excellence that bring together quality, cost and patient satisfaction.

“By receiving this re-accreditation, Bryn Mawr and Lankenau have helped to enhance the cardiac care that is delivered to our patients,” says Larry Mendelson, M.D., cardiologist and medical director of the Chest Pain Center at Bryn Mawr Hospital. “Members of our community can rest assured knowing that they can turn to us for fast treatment as soon as they develop symptoms of a heart attack.”

Hospitals that have received SCPC accreditation have achieved a higher level of expertise in dealing with patients who arrive with symptoms of a heart attack. They emphasize the importance of standardized diagnostic and treatment programs that provide more efficient and effective evaluation as well as more appropriate and rapid treatment of patients with chest pain and other heart attack symptoms. They also serve as a point of entry into the healthcare system to evaluate and treat other medical problems, and they help to promote a healthier lifestyle in an attempt to reduce the risk factors for heart attack.

“I want to thank the staff members of both Bryn Mawr and Lankenau for their dedication and tremendous contributions to the accreditation process,” says Timothy Shapiro, M.D., interventional cardiologist at Lankenau Medical Center and medical director of Lankenau’s Chest Pain Center. “This re-accreditation is truly a reflection of our commitment to providing superior care to our patients.”

To become an Accredited Chest Pain Center, Bryn Mawr and Lankenau engaged in rigorous evaluation by SCPC for its ability to assess, diagnose, and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. This means that processes are in place to meet strict criteria aimed at:

• Reducing the time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis and treatment
• Treating patients more quickly during the critical window of time when the integrity of the heart muscle can be preserved
• Monitoring patients when it is not certain that they are having a heart attack to ensure that they are not sent home too quickly or needlessly admitted to the hospital