Wesley Medical Center Announces Chest Pain Center Accreditation

Hattiesburg, MS – Wesley Medical Center is proud to announce it is now the first Accredited Chest Pain Center in the Pine Belt. Building on its commitment to become a leader in cardiac care, Wesley Medical Center recently applied for and was granted full accreditation by the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) – a designation held by only 12 percent of hospitals in the United States.

“Working hard and being rewarded with this accreditation, immediately on the heels of being recognized as a Top Performing Hospital by the JCAHO, is a testament to the hard work of the team that I am surrounded by,” said Wesley Medical Center CEO Mike Neuendorf. “Being named this area’s only certified chest pain center and only the sixth facility to be recognized in the state, shows once again that we have the service, the process, the quality and the expertise to get the job done, and get it done right.”

Chest Pain Center accreditation comes after a rigorous evaluation by SCPC designed to determine the institution’s ability to assess, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. Only five other Mississippi hospitals have been designated as Accredited Chest Pain Centers. They include Magnolia Regional Health Center in Corinth; River Region Medical Center in Vicksburg; Mississippi Baptist Medical Center, St. Dominic Hospital, and University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

“The investment in establishing an Accredited Chest Pain Center shows Wesley’s ongoing commitment to providing superior team-centered cardiac care,” said Cardiologist Mark Campbell, M.D. of the Hattiesburg Heart and Vascular Clinic. "Quick response, diagnosis and treatment saves heart muscle which saves lives. Our team combines advanced technology, expert training and exceptional response time to cardiac emergencies which gives our patients the best chance of not only surviving a heart attack but making a meaningful recovery and getting back to a normal life with their loved ones. That's what this is really all about, taking the best possible care of our patients and their families."

Chest Pain Center accreditation means that Wesley Medical Center has processes in place that meet strict criteria aimed at reducing the time from the start of symptoms to diagnosis and treatment, treating patients more quickly during the critical window of time when heart muscle can be preserved. The criteria also address 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 admitted to the hospital unnecessarily.

“This is momentous not only for our hospital and patients, but the community as well,” said Neuendorf. “This designation means that any patient who comes to Wesley Medical Center experiencing chest pain can be confident he or she is receiving care that meets or exceeds the highest national standards.”

For more information on the Chest Pain Center Accreditation, call 601-268-800 or visit Wesley.com.