March 2, 2012

Now that NorthBay has a certified STEMI program for high-risk heart patients, the next step for us is to develop a Chest Pain Observation Program (for low- to intermediate-risk patients) by the end of this year.

An "Obs" program rapidly and accurately determines the cause of the chest discomfort and promptly initiates appropriate therapy. It uses the most appropriate monitoring, diagnostic testing and therapy. It assess signs, symptoms, lab tests and the patient's response to therapy so we can determine whether a patient will require further treatment or if he or she can be discharged from the hospital.

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February 13, 2012

Chest pain is not always a specific symptom, which means sometimes it is related to your heart, sometimes not. But a pain in the chest will send approximately 6 million people each year to the emergency departments of U.S. hospitals.

When they reach the hospital, 55 to 85 percent learn they are not experiencing a heart-related episode. Of those admitted for cardiac-related chest pain, however, the majority (more than 60 percent) are not suffering what we call a STEMI, or a serious myocardial infarction. Fewer than 10 percent are.

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January 25, 2012

February is Heart Month. So to kick off festivities, we will host a very special, long-awaited event to celebrate Solano County's first STEMI Receiving Center next week in the lobby of NorthBay Medical Center.

Those helping us mark this advancement in emergency medical care in our community include Solano County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Linda Seifert and Solano County EMS Agency chief Ted Selby, as well as Dr. Bill Bommer, the incoming governor of the Northern California Chapter of the American College of Cardiology, and Rebecca Rogaway, executive director, Western States Affiliate, American Heart Association.

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January 12, 2012

Nearly 400,000 people each year will suffer ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI - a sign of a serious heart attack, according to the American Heart Association. And unfortunately, only a percentage of these patients receive appropriate interventional treatment within the 90-minute period recommended by the Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.

For patients experiencing the most lethal type of heart attack, each passing minute means more heart-muscle damage. Receiving a rapid diagnosis and prompt treatment can dramatically increase a patient's chance for survival.

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December 16, 2011

Chest discomfort or pain may be a key warning symptom of a heart attack. 

What are the warning signs?

Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes. Or they go away and come back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

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December 16, 2011

As a leader in heart and vascular care, NorthBay Healthcare will soon upgrade its national accreditation of the Chest Pain Center, a program in both of our hospitals that provides rapid, often life-saving treatments.

Accreditation is a process involving an intense evaluation of NorthBay's care and treatment of patients who come to us with symptoms of a heart attack. It ensures our hospitals meet or exceed quality-of-care measures based on improving the process for caring for patients exhibiting acute coronary syndrome.

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December 16, 2011

Since the day I arrived at NorthBay Healthcare in January 2008, my sole purpose has been to develop a world-class heart care center of excellence here in Solano County. In less than four years, our program has achieved some remarkable feats, with more to come.

As NorthBay's director of cardiovascular services, my charge was to create, develop and promote the highest quality of cardiac and vascular services possible. Our goal is to save hearts and keep our patients' circulatory system in top shape.

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