Accredited Chest Pain Center
Available around the clock and focused on caring for hearts every day of the year, the MountainView Regional Medical Center chest pain center team knows the warning signs and delivers rapid treatment to patients in the early stages of heart attacks. Early intervention and attention reduces strain on the heart and creates better outcomes. In addition to helping us provide quality care to patients with heart issues, this pinpoint focus also helps prevent unnecessary admissions if it’s not clear if a person is experiencing a coronary event.
Heart attacks are a leading cause of death in the U.S . Know the symptoms and don’t wait; if you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911 immediately.
Signs of a heart attack:
- Discomfort in the center of the chest: this may feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body, including pain in one or both arms, the shoulders, back or jaw
- Shortness of breath
- Other signs: cold sweat, unusual fatigue, nausea or lightheadedness
American College of Cardiology (ACC)
MountainView Regional Medical Center is proud to be an Accredited Chest Pain Center with PCI in the state of New Mexico. This designation, given by the American College of Cardiology, means that MountainView Regional Medical Center has demonstrated expertise in cardiac patient care as measured by a wide range of stringent criteria. This level of cardiac care is achieved by only 12% of all hospitals in the United States.
Hospitals awarded this designation have Primary PCI available 24/7 every day of the year. This means they have a call team made up of the cardiac catheterization (cath) lab staff and an interventional cardiologist who arrive to the facility quickly upon notice of STEMI activation.
Primary PCI consists of urgent balloon angioplasty (with or without stenting), without the previous administration of drug inhibitors, to open the infarct-related artery during an acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation (STEMI).
MountainView Regional Medical Center provides Las Cruces and southern New Mexico with advanced facilities and technology to better meet your cardiac healthcare needs. We opened the region’s first hybrid operating room. A hybrid operating room is a surgical theatre that is equipped with medical imaging devices such as fixed C-Arms, CT scanners or MRI scanners. These imaging devices enable minimally-invasive surgery.
What does ACC accreditation mean for patients?
- Patients who arrive at MountainView Regional Medical Center's ER with symptoms of a heart attack are treated according to quality-of-care measures that are proven to achieve better patient outcomes.
- The hospital must demonstrate our expertise in this treatment during an extensive survey by ACC every three years.
Our team approach leads to better outcomes for patients.
Treatment starts from the onset of the patient's symptoms, and includes an interdisciplinary team approach -- EMS personnel, emergency room doctors and nurses, radiology, respiratory, laboratory and many other departments all come together to rapidly diagnose and treat heart attack symptoms. The Accredited Chest Pain Center model is designed to help the hospital plan and organize the delivery of care for potential heart attack victims in a systematic manner.
Act Fast
As an accredited Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI, MountainView Regional Medical Center's best practice approach to cardiac care allows us to act fast during the critical first stages of a heart attack.
Early recognition of heart attack symptoms is also a vital part of care. If you or someone you love is experiencing these symptoms, please call 911 immediately.
Heart attacks are not always sudden and intense. Many start slowly, with only mild pain or discomfort. You may not be sure what’s wrong – even if you’ve had a previous heart attack. When in doubt, check it out.
Our team of physicians and nurses are here for you. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our accredited Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI is open to any patient experiencing heart attack symptoms.