CRMC 1-16-20
Cheyenne Regional Medical Center was recently notified that it has earned Chest Pain Certification from The Joint Commission (TJC), the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting organization in healthcare.
Being Chest Pain Certified means that CRMC has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for diagnosing and treating patients with chest pain, including heart attacks and other acute coronary syndromes. CRMC is the first and only hospital in Wyoming to receive this certification.
“Cheyenne Regional Medical Center strives to provide exceptional care to our patients and community,” Jeffrey Chapman, MD, CRMC’s Chief Medical Officer, said. “Earning The Joint Commission’s Chest Pain Certification is another example of our health system’s continued commitment to providing quality care, close to home.”
According to The Joint Commission, “the Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.”
“Achieving Chest Pain Certification through The Joint Commission demonstrates our hospital’s commitment to adhering to a high standard of evidence-based and comprehensive care for patients being treated for chest pain,” said Muhammad Khan, MD, FACC, FSCAI, Medical Director of CRMC’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab.
As part of the certification process, CRMC underwent a rigorous, onsite review by a Joint Commission surveyor on October 18, 2019. The surveyor evaluated CRMC’s compliance with chest pain certification standards, including how the hospital delivers clinical care to chest pain patients and how its chest pain program is managed. The reviewer also conducted onsite observations and interviews with CRMC employees and providers along the hospital’s continuum of care for chest pain patients.
“Chest Pain Certification recognizes healthcare organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” said Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, The Joint Commission’s chief nursing executive and chief operating officer for Accreditation and Certification Operations. “We commend Cheyenne Regional Medical Center for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for chest pain patients.”
The Joint Commission’s Chest Pain Certification specifically recognizes healthcare organizations that meet consensus-based national standards for treating chest pain; demonstrate effective and consistent use of appropriate evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for chest pain patients; and collect and analyze a minimum of four performance measures specific to patients being treated for chest pain.
“We have been committed to following national protocols for treating chest pain for many years,” Cardiologist Herman Feringa, MD, FACC, PhD, CRMC Cardiology Section Lead, said. “That, ultimately, is what this certification means—that we are doing everything possible to ensure better outcomes and a better quality of life for our patients.”
