Chest Pain Gold Seal of Approval Certification Awarded by The Joint Commission
January 24, 2021Beaufort Memorial Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Chest Pain Certification. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective care.
“Our cardiac and emergency teams are highly trained and ready to provide lifesaving care when treating patients who experience chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack,” said Russell Baxley, MHA, president & CEO. “This certification, along with the recent Gold Seal of Approval for Stroke Certification, reinforces our commitment to the highest standards of care for our community.”
In order to qualify for the Chest Pain Certification, Beaufort Memorial underwent a rigorous on-site review in March when Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with national disease-specific care standards as well as with chest pain specific requirements. Clinical practice guidelines and performance measures also were assessed.
Established in 2002 and awarded for a two-year period, The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification evaluates clinical programs across the continuum of care and addresses three core areas:
- Compliance with consensus-based national standards;
- Effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; and
- An organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.
"Beaufort Memorial has thoroughly demonstrated a high level of care for patients with chest pain,” said Patrick Phelan, executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission. “We commend the hospital for becoming a leader in chest pain care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for cardiac patients in its community.”
Beaufort Memorial recently received state approval to perform elective percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), a non-surgical procedure used to open blocked arteries in the heart. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) granted BMH a Certificate of Need after reviewing the hospital’s application and determining it met the required criteria to perform non-emergent PCIs.
DHEC had authorized BMH to perform emergency PCIs on patients suffering the most dangerous type of heart attacks in 2013. Since then, the hospital has been averaging 70 of the life-saving procedures each year, earning numerous national achievement awards for its cardiac care. The hospital has now started providing non-emergent PCIs as well.