Ottumwa Regional Health Center Recognized for Excellence with ACC Chest Pain Center Accreditation

Ottumwa Regional Health Center Recognized for Excellence with ACC Chest Pain Center Accreditation

ORHC cited for excellent care, resources to patients with heart attack symptoms

OTTUMWA, Iowa – Feb. 9, 2023 — Ottumwa Regional Health Center (ORHC) has been recognized by The American College of Cardiology (ACC) for demonstrating expertise and commitment in treating patients with chest pain. ORHC recently was awarded Chest Pain Center Accreditation based on rigorous onsite evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack.

Hospitals that have earned ACC Chest Pain Center Accreditation have proven exceptional skill in treating patients with heart attack symptoms. They have streamlined their systems from admission to evaluation to diagnosis and treatment all the way through to appropriate post-discharge care and recommendations and assistance in patient lifestyle changes.

“We all are very proud that our dedication to providing excellent heart care to our region has been rewarded with this national recognition,” said Lisa Garrison, Director of Imaging, Radiation Oncology, Cardiac Cath Lab, and chest pain coordinator at ORHC. “This is clear evidence of the skills and experience of our entire cardiac care team as they continuously strive to provide safe, outstanding care and service to Ottumwa and Wapello County.”

To achieve ACC Chest Pain Center accreditation, ORHC needed to meet or exceed an extensive list of strict criteria and have organized a team of doctors, nurses, clinicians, and other administrative staff that are committed to improved patient outcomes and outstanding patient education.

OHRC took part in a multi-faceted onsite review clinical review process that involved completing a gap analysis, examining variation of care, developing an action plan and demonstration of a monitoring for sustained success.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 730,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. The most common symptom of a heart attack for both men and women 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 sweat, unusual tiredness, heartburn-like feeling, nausea or vomiting, sudden dizziness and fainting.

“People tend to wait when they think they might be having a heart attack, and that’s a mistake,” said Garrison. “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 outcome for the patient. With our new accreditation, we hope to bring greater awareness to the importance of timely care and help even more people in our area.”

About Ottumwa Regional Health Center (ORHC)

For more than 125 years, Ottumwa Regional Health Center has served the community of Ottumwa, Wapello County and the citizens of Southeast Iowa. We are a regional health center providing a wide range of health services, including emergency medicine, critical care services, medical/surgical, acute rehabilitation, obstetrics, and pediatrics, as well as specialty services such as cardiac catheterization, diagnostic and therapeutic radiological services, wound care, pain clinic, sleep lab, pathology, and more. ORHC’s mission is making communities healthier and it is dedicated to being a place where people choose to come for healthcare, physicians want to practice, and employees want to work.

About the American College of Cardiology

The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its 54,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.

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