FAYETTEVILLE — Washington Regional Medical Center has received full accreditation as a Chest Pain Center.
The recognition comes from the Society of Chest Pain Centers and requires hospitals be evaluated on the ability to assess, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack.
The society, an international organization dedicated to eliminating heart disease as the number one cause of death worldwide, accredits hospitals that have achieved a higher level of expertise in dealing with patients who arrive with symptoms of a heart attack.
This means processes are in place to reduce the time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis and treatment, treat patients quicker and monitor patients when it is uncertain if they are having a heart attack to ensure they are not sent home too quickly or needlessly admitted to the hospital.