Emanuel Medical Center recently earned two national accreditations and recognitions for the efforts of the hospital to advance patient care.

The hospital received full accreditation as a Chest Pain Center with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and a Resuscitation Accreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. 

“Hospitals that receive this accreditation status have achieved a higher level of expertise in dealing with patients who present with symptoms of a heart attack,” explained Emanuel’s certified Chest Pain Coordinator Christine O’Brien. “Chest Pain Centers 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.”

On Tuesday the hospital announced in had earned the Quality Respiratory Care Recognition under a national program aimed at helping patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of the respiratory care services available in hospitals.  Only 15 percent of the nation’s hospitals applied for and received this award.

“Our priority at Emanuel is delivering high-quality care and services to our patients throughout the hospital,” said Emanuel CEO Sue Micheletti. “This respiratory care recognition is another indication of the high quality of services patients receive and can expect at Emanuel.”

Cardiac care at Emanuel Medical Center took a major step forward in 2014 with the opening of the Justin Ferrari Cardiovascular Operating Suites. The $7.1 million suite allows EMC to perform procedures and techniques that previously could not be done at the hospital. The cardiac suites feature a dedicated cardiac operating room with the newest medical innovations in sterilization, patient-monitoring, and lighting that among its other features, can sense when someone leans over the table and adjusts the lights so that no shadow is cast. All the display monitors and other equipment are suspended from the ceiling on adjustable arms so a surgical team can position them for optimal use.

The second part of the suite is a hybrid cardiac care room that combines a cauterization and interventional lab with an operating room. The hybrid cardiac suite allows for new treatment options and doubles the hospital’s ability to treat emergency cases.

The American Heart Association estimates that about 85.6 million Americans are living with some form of cardiovascular disease or the after-effects of stroke. Nearly 801,000 people in the United States died from heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases in 2013. That’s about one of every three deaths in America.

The California Department of Public Health’s County Health Assessment found Stanislaus County had a coronary heart disease death rate of 148 deaths per 100,000 residents, landing the county 57th out of the state’s 58 counties.

“Emanuel brought advanced cardiac care to the Turlock community specifically to address these needs and save lives,” said Micheletti. “These accreditations are important indicators of our commitment to providing high-quality emergency cardiac care and we are proud to have been an accredited Chest Pain Center since 2013.”

To earn the accreditation a hospital must demonstrate the ability to assess, diagnosis, and treat patients quickly, as well as monitor patients when it’s uncertain if a cardiac event is happening or not. Among the other requirements for accreditation a hospital must support community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack, which was the message of a heart health luncheon sponsored by EMC in February.

Hospitals that earn the Quality Respiratory Care Recognition must ensure patient safety by agreeing to adhere to a strict set of criteria governing their respiratory care services. Among the conditions for qualifying, a hospital must have respiratory therapists available 24 hours a day and they must be properly creditenialed.

The Quality Respiratory Care Recognition program was started by the American Association for Respiratory Care in 2003 to help consumers identify those facilities using qualified respiratory therapists to provide respiratory care.