Norton Healthcare’s adult-service hospitals in Louisville have all received Chest Pain Center accreditation from the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

Story by: Lynne Choate on December 15, 2022

Norton Healthcare’s adult-service hospitals in Louisville have all received Chest Pain Center accreditation from the American College of Cardiology (ACC). This is the seventh consecutive accreditation for all four hospitals, which ensures quality for the treatment of heart attack.

Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Brownsboro Hospital, and Norton Hospital all are recognized for ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI accreditation; Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital is recognized as an ACC Chest Pain Center. Norton Healthcare has the most facilities across the city of Louisville with the ability treat a life-threatening heart attack.

“This accreditation is based on national standards ensuring patients receive specific treatment in a timely manner, a task that takes teamwork across multiple areas of the hospital — including the emergency department, radiology, cardiac catheterization, laboratory and many more,” said Joseph A. Lash, M.D., cardiologist and medical director of Norton Heart & Vascular Institute and Rounsavall Family Foundation endowed chair. “Achieving this accreditation is a testament to the entire team both within the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute, but also at each of the hospitals.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 730,000 Americans experience a heart attack each year. The most common symptom of a heart attack is chest pain or discomfort. However, women are more likely to have atypical symptoms. Other heart attack symptoms include, but are not limited to, tingling or discomfort in one or both arms, back, shoulder, neck or jaw, shortness of breath, cold sweats, unusual tiredness, heartburn-like feeling, nausea or vomiting, sudden dizziness, and fainting.

Hospitals that have earned ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation have proven exceptional competency in treating patients with heart attack symptoms and have primary PCI available 24/7 every day of the year. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is also known as coronary angioplasty. It is a nonsurgical procedure that opens narrowed or blocked coronary arteries with a balloon to relieve symptoms of heart disease or reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack.

As required to meet the criteria of the accreditation designation, these hospitals comply with standard Chest Pain Center protocols.  These facilities also maintain a “no diversion policy” for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

Hospitals receiving Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation Accreditation from the ACC must take part in a multifacetedclinical process that involves: completing a gap analysis, examining variances of care, developing an action plan, a rigorous on-site review and monitoring for sustained success. Improved methods and strategies of caring for patients include streamlining processes, implementing guidelines and standards, and adopting best practices in the care of patients experiencing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria and have organized a team of doctors, nurses, clinicians and other administrative staff that earnestly supports the efforts leading to better patient education and improved patient outcomes.

Norton Heart & Vascular Institute is the area’s leading provider of cardiovascular care, from general cardiology to subspecialty care that includes vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, cardiac surgery, electrophysiology, advanced heart failure, structural cardiology and interventional cardiology.