October 12, 2023
West Columbia, S.C.– Lexington Medical Center is pleased to announce it has received Chest Pain Center Accreditation with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention from the American College of Cardiology for its expertise and commitment to treating patients with chest pain. The hospital has also received accreditation as a Cardiac Catherization Lab with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Center.
Lexington Medical Center earned these accreditations based on a rigorous evaluation of the ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack.
“We take immense pride in the care we provide to chest pain patients because every heartbeat matters,” said Alexander Remedios, MD, medical director of the Lexington Medical Center Emergency department and Chest Pain.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 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. Women, however, 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.
PCI is coronary intervention that includes angioplasty, thrombectomy and stenting. These non-surgical procedures open narrowed or blocked coronary arteries to relieve symptoms of heart disease or reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack. Hospitals that earn ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI accreditation have proven exceptional competency in treating patients with heart attack symptoms and have primary PCI available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
The process for accreditation includes completing a gap analysis, examining variances of care, developing an action plan, undergoing a rigorous review and monitoring for sustained success. Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed stringent criteria and have a team of physicians, nurses, clinicians and other staff to support enhanced patient education and improved outcomes.
Lexington Medical Center is a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It anchors a health care network that includes five community medical centers and employs a staff of more than 8,000 health care professionals. The hospital is ranked best hospital in the Columbia Metro and #2 hospital in South Carolina by U.S. News & World Report and was named one of the “Best Places to Work in South Carolina” by SC Biz News, in partnership with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group. Lexington Medical Cancer Center is an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence and has a clinical research and education affiliation with MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. The network includes a cardiovascular program recognized by the American College of Cardiology as South Carolina's first HeartCARE Center. The network also has an occupational health center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, an Alzheimer's care center and more than 70 physician practices. Lexington Medical Center operates one of the busiest Emergency departments in South Carolina, treating nearly 100,000 patients each year. The hospital delivers more than 4,000 babies each year and performs more than 25,000 surgeries. Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies.
