Chest Pain Center Recognized for Outstanding Care

If you come to the hospital with chest pain, you care about only one thing: getting the right care as quickly as possible. Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital’s Chest Pain Center was designed to provide faster, more accurate diagnosis and treatment of heart-related problems.

It is this level of cardiac specialization that earned Memorial Hermann Southeast accreditation by the Society of Chest  Pain Centers. The  accreditation certifies that the best facilities, procedures  and clinicians are in place to provide the highest level of cardiac care. “Our Chest Pain Center provides a framework  for diagnosing patients with chest pain quickly and accurately,” says Periyanan Vaduganathan, M.D., chief of the medical staff and a cardiologist affili-ated with Memorial  Hermann Southeast.

“It ensures that even patients who don’t have normal heart attack symptoms will be properly treated and diagnosed.”

Any patient entering the Emergency Center with chest pain is transferred to the Chest Pain Center and placed under the direct care of a cardiologist. Patients also have the benefit of a dedicated team of nurses specially trained in cardiac care. This specialized attention  often leads to faster diagnosis and treatment of heart problems. That can translate directly to improved chances of surviving and fully recovering from a heart attack.

“Our Chest Pain Center model is the gold standard of care for patients experi-encing chest pain,” says Dr. Vaduganathan.

Hospitals undergo a rigorous evalua-tion process to become an accredited  chest pain center. They must demonstrate a strong track record in cardiac care and have on staff board-certified cardiologists and physicians on staff. Hospitals also must have procedures  in place to “fast track” patients with chest pain to a cardiac care team. “This accreditation demonstrates the hospital’s strong commitment to cardio-vascular medicine and to the patients in our community,” says Dr. Vaduganathan.