The American College of Cardiology has awarded Sarasota Memorial full accreditation this month as a designated Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation for demonstrated expertise in treating patients with chest pain. Sarasota Memorial is the first hospital in Sarasota County to receive the highest-level designation, which followed a rigorous onsite evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack or cardiac arrest.

To earn this high level Chest Pain Center designation, hospitals must maintain a “No Diversion Policy” for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients and demonstrate exceptional competency in treating patients with heart attack symptoms, including offering primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) 24/7, every day of the year. Also known as coronary angioplasty, PCI is a non-surgical, catheter-based procedure that uses balloons to open narrowed or blocked coronary arteries to reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack, and inserts stents to keep the arteries open and prevent further heart disease.

Sarasota Memorial Hospital