Basic HTML Version
CHEST PAIN
CENTER
ACCREDITED
Saint Alphonsus Regional
Medical Center has received
Chest Pain Center accreditation from the Society
of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC). This accreditation
means Saint Alphonsus has achieved a higher
level of expertise in caring for patients who arrive
with symptoms of a heart attack. To become
an accredited chest pain center, hospitals must
engage in rigorous evaluation by SCPC for their
ability to assess, diagnose and treat patients who
may be experiencing a heart attack.
“People tend to wait when they think they
might be having a heart attack, and that’s a
mistake,” says Mark Parent,
MD, FACC, Medical Direc-
tor of the Saint Alphonsus
Chest Pain Center. “The
average patient arrives in
the emergency department
more than two hours after
the onset of symptoms,
but what they don’t realize
is that the sooner a heart
attack is treated, the less
damage to the heart and the better the out-
come for the patient.”
Hospitals that have received SCPC accredita-
tion have achieved a higher level of expertise in
dealing with patients who arrive with symptoms
of a heart attack, which saves more lives.
with heart disease, it is possible to live a long, healthy life, as long
as you don’t take that diagnosis lightly.”
Ticker TLC
Your treatment plan may include medications such as angiotensin-
converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and beta-blockers, which
reduce blood pressure and ease the strain
on your heart. Your doctor can also set up
a diet and exercise plan for you that will
help strengthen your heart and improve
your overall health.
According to the American Heart
Association, there are three basic lifestyle
choices that will help you defend against
heart disease: avoid tobacco, exercise regu-
larly and eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Peter Roan, MD, FACC
Mark Parent, MD, FACC
Health & Healing
www.saintalphonsus.org
5
HEART FAILURE
SIGNS AND
SYMPTOMS
People with heart failure
often complain of:
• Feeling tired or short of breath
• Trouble sleeping
• Abdominal pain and loss of
appetite
• Unexplained weight gain or swollen
legs and ankles
• Frequent dry cough