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Calling 911 is Important for Your Heart Health

September 6, 2007

OKLAHOMA CITY - Time is muscle when you’re having a heart attack. The longer it takes to start treatment the more damage is done and the less likely you are to survive. That’s why it’s imperative to seek the fastest care possible.

The Naifeh Families Chest Pain Center at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center has been working with EMSA for more than a year to administer lifesaving help almost immediately.

New technology placed inside EMSA ambulances allows crews in the field to send EKGs and other vital data to the hospital while still enroute. Emergency staff at the chest pain center can then begin preparing for the patient’s arrival, while communicating with paramedics. It’s a head start that can be the difference between life and death.

“We really want the members of our community to know how important it is to call 911 immediately when one experiences chest pain,” says Kathie Calbone, INTEGRIS Heart Hospital president. “The time saved by beginning treatment inside an EMSA vehicle versus a patient’s family member driving him or her to the hospital is crucial.”

The Naifeh Families Chest Pain Center is a Cycle II Accredited Chest Pain Center with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Designation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers. The PCI designation is awarded when a facility can prove it has all the necessary tools and know-how to clear blockages in a timely fashion. Methods such as clot-busting drugs to balloon stents may be used to clear a blocked artery during a cardiac event.

“The sooner patients call 911 at the time they experience chest pain, the sooner we can get them the care that may help save their lives,” says Calbone.

Sidebar
Heart attacks continue to be the leading cause of death in the United States. Patients who may experience chest pain symptoms can be evaluated and treated immediately at the Chest Pain Center. The Society of Chest Pain Centers knows the importance of educating the public on recognizing the early symptoms of a possible heart attack. The Center is vital in ensuring that patients receive treatment more quickly, thus helping reduce the mortality rate due to heart attacks. The INTEGRIS Heart Hospital, in conjunction with the Naifeh Families Chest Pain Center at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center is the leader in heart care in the state of Oklahoma.

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INTEGRIS Health Corporate Communications
3030 N.W. Expressway
Suite 1620
Oklahoma City, 73112

(405) 951-4826