Hospital provides emergency, lifesaving medical care in partnership with local first responders

Willamette Valley Medical Center (WVMC) has received Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Accreditation Services. Hospitals that have received ACC accreditation have achieved a higher level of expertise in dealing with patients who arrive with symptoms of a heart attack. They emphasize the importance of standardized diagnostic and treatment programs that provide more efficient and effective evaluation, as well as more appropriate and rapid treatment, of patients with chest pain and other heart attack symptoms. They also serve as a point of entry into the healthcare system to evaluate and treat other medical problems, and they help to promote a healthier lifestyle in an attempt to reduce the risk factors for heart attack.

To become an Accredited Chest Pain Center, WVMC engaged in rigorous evaluation by ACC for its ability to assess, diagnose, and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. To Yamhill County, this means that processes are in place that meet strict criteria aimed at:

  • Reducing the time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis and treatment
  • Treating patients more quickly during the critical window of time when the integrity of the heart muscle can be preserved
  • Monitoring patients when it is not certain that they are having a heart attack to ensure that they are not sent home too quickly or needlessly admitted to the hospital

“Earning Chest Pain Center accreditation is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our clinical team, our community partners, and the ACC, who have been working collaboratively to ensure our hospital is prepared to provide high quality care to patients when heart attacks strike,” said Lori Bergen, WVMC Chief Executive Officer. “WVMC’s top priority is to provide quality healthcare close to home, and this accomplishment demonstrates one of the many ways we continually work to enhance and improve our service.”

WVMC addresses the entire continuum of care for the heart patient, including important areas such as dispatch, Emergency Medical System, emergency department, cath lab, quality assurance plan, and WVMC’s community outreach program. By becoming one of only four hospitals in Oregon accredited as a Chest Pain Center, WVMC has enhanced the quality of care for the cardiac patient and has demonstrated its commitment to higher standards.

Part of LifePoint Health, WVMC is one of more than 60 LifePoint facilities that have earned ACC accreditation since 2015, demonstrating the company-wide commitment to enhancing quality and ensuring excellent service and care in the emergency department. The partnership between LifePoint Health and ACC for collaborative training and hospital accreditation demonstrates the organizations’ common focus on high quality medical care for patients.

“People tend to wait when they think they might be having a heart attack, and that’s a mistake,” said Dawn Shea, WVMC Quality and Chest Pain Center Coordinator. “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 community.”

About Willamette Valley Medical Center
Located in McMinnville, Oregon, Willamette Valley Medical Center (WVMC) is a 60-bed acute-care, full-service facility, fully accredited by The Joint Commission. WVMC features a 24-hour Emergency Department with round-the-clock imaging and laboratory services, the Joint Replacement Institute, a Critical Care Unit, and a Senior Behavioral Health Services unit. WVMC also provides a host of other services including a full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient Surgical Services, a Family Birthing Center, Endoscopy, Cardiac Catheterization Lab, Cardio Pulmonary Services, Breast Center, and Therapy Services. In addition, the hospital offers specialty services in the H. R. Hoover, MD, Cancer Center and the Wound Care Center.  For more information, visit WillametteValleyMedical.com

About LifePoint Health
LifePoint Health (NASDAQ: LPNT) is a leading healthcare company dedicated to Making Communities Healthier®. Through its subsidiaries, it provides quality inpatient, outpatient and post-acute services close to home. LifePoint owns and operates community hospitals, regional health systems, physician practices, outpatient centers, and post-acute facilities in 22 states. It is the sole community healthcare provider in the majority of the non-urban communities it serves. More information about the company can be found at www.LifePointHealth.net. All references to “LifePoint,” “LifePoint Health” or the “Company” used in this release refer to affiliates or subsidiaries of LifePoint Health, Inc.

About the American College of Cardiology
The American College of Cardiology is a 52,000-member medical society that serves as the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, clinical standards and practice guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care. It also provides professional medical education, offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more information, visit acc.org.

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Cooper J. Fisher, Marketing & PR Coordinator
Willamette Valley Medical Center
503.434.6004
Cooper.Fisher@mywvmc.com