North Oaks Medical Center Earns National Accreditation for Emergency Heart Care

North Oaks Medical Center has earned national accreditation as a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Accreditation Services. Chest Pain Center accreditation recognizes the hospital’s ability to rapidly and effectively treat patients experiencing chest pain and heart attacks.

Accreditation as a Chest Pain Center means North Oaks Medical Center meets strict national standards for emergency cardiac care, including 24/7 access to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which is also known as angioplasty with stent placement. It is a non-surgical procedure that opens narrowed or blocked coronary arteries with a balloon to relieve symptoms of heart disease or reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack.

"Earning this accreditation signals that we are prepared when it matters most," affirms North Oaks Health System’s Chief Quality and Health Equity Officer Rami Nelson, DNP, MSN, RN, CPHQ, LSSMBB. "Our teams, processes and technology come together seamlessly to ensure patients receive safe, high-quality, life-saving cardiac care—especially for the most severe type of heart attack where immediate artery-opening treatment can save lives.”

ACC Accreditation Services awarded the designation after a comprehensive review of the hospital's emergency response systems, patient outcomes and adherence to evidence-based treatment guidelines. The evaluation also assessed coordination with local emergency medical services and the hospital’s commitment to continuous quality improvement.

“The ACC’s rigorous evaluation validated our ability to rapidly assess, diagnose and treat heart attack patients—especially those facing the most critical, time-sensitive emergencies,” notes North Oaks Chest Pain Center Medical Director Georges Khoueiry, MD. “This achievement reflects the expertise, precision and coordination of our emergency and cardiovascular teams across every point of care.”

"Realizing our goal to become an accredited Chest Pain Center is a credit to the extraordinary collaboration of our providers, nurses, support teams and EMS partners," asserts Michele Kidd Sutton, FACHE, President and CEO of North Oaks. "Every role, every shift, every touch point and every act of teamwork contributed to reaching this milestone. Because of their expertise and dedication to improving lives, North Oaks is raising the standard for advanced, compassionate, timely heart care and strengthening our role as a trusted regional leader in emergency cardiovascular services.”

More than 730,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The most common symptoms for both men and women are chest pain or discomfort. Women, however, are more likely to experience less typical symptoms like shortness of breath, nausea, unusual fatigue, dizziness or pain in the jaw, back or arms.

Hospitals earning ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI accreditation have demonstrated exceptional levels of expertise in identifying and treating heart attack symptoms. These facilities offer PCI services 24 hours a day, follow standardized chest pain protocols, maintain a no-diversion policy for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients and support advanced post-cardiac arrest care.

“North Oaks Medical Center has demonstrated its commitment to providing the community with excellent heart care,” confirms Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt, Chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board. “ACC Accreditation Services is proud to recognize North Oaks with Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI accreditation.”

In addition to its status as a certified chest pain center, North Oaks Medical Center is also a level II trauma center and primary stroke center with 330 beds. The acute care hospital is located at 15790 Paul Vega, MD, Dr. in Hammond.

ACC is the global leader in transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health for all through the formation of policy, standards and guidelines. As the preeminent source of professional medical education for cardiovascular care teams since 1949, ACC credentials cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications in more than 140 countries. The college is committed to ensuring a world where science, knowledge and innovation optimize patient care and outcomes.

To learn more about cardiovascular services offered by North Oaks, follow @myNorthOaks on social media or call North Oaks Public Relations at (985) 230-6647.

North Oaks Cardiovascular Services providers gather to celebrate North Oaks Medical Center’s certification as a Chest Pain Center. Pictured, clockwise from the top, are Nurse Practitioners Jasmine Severan and Travis King, Dr. William Smith, Dr. Robert Derenbecker, Dr. James Parker, Dr. William Kopfler, Physician Assistants Dayana Frazer, Olivia Buquoi and Donna Foster, Dr. Jherie Ducombs and Dr. Georges Khoueiry. Not pictured are Dr. Nidal Abi Rafeh, Nurse Practitioner Alexandra Battalora, Dr. Bruce Ennis, Nurse Practitioner Jean Genzale, Nurse Practitioner Kristen King and Dr. Jose Mena.

North Oaks Chest Pain Committee gathers to celebrate North Oaks Medical Center’s certification as a Chest Pain Center through the American College of Cardiology. Committee members include (first row, from left) Emergency Services Director Eric Neal, Laboratory Section Supervisor Bryan Pendarvis, Clinical Nurse Manager Charles Morgan, Case Management Director Jason Lindsey, Interventional Cardiologist Georges Khoueiry, Vice President of the Cardiovascular / Oncology Service Line Diana Barber, Chief Quality and Health Equity Officer Rami Nelson, (second row) Performance Management Clinical Specialist Melissa Tallia and Clinical Nurse Manager Krista Brumfield, (third row) Clinical Nurse Manager Katherine Evans, North Oaks Cardiology Lead Physician Assistant Donna Foster, Disease Specific Certification Manager Colette Reece; (fourth row) Cath Lab Manager Carolyn Himel, Emergency Services Unit Manager Mike Holliday, Cardiology Services Manager Terri Magliolo, Vice President/Assistant Chief Medical Officer Jherie Ducombs, Clinical Nurse Manager Whitney Lachaussee.