UP Health System – Marquette Recognized for Excellence with Renewal of ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation

UP Health System – Marquette provides necessary care, resources to patients with heart attack symptoms

ACC Accreditation Services, the accrediting arm of the American College of Cardiology, has recognized UP Health System – Marquette, a Duke LifePoint hospital, for its demonstrated expertise and commitment in treating patients with chest pain. UP Health System – Marquette again received the Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation in July 2022 based on rigorous onsite evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack.

UP Health System – Marquette is the only hospital in the region to be awarded both the Cardiac Cath Lab with PCI Accreditation as well as the Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 805,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. The most common symptom of a heart attack for both men and women is chest pain or discomfort. However, women are more likely to have atypical symptoms. Other heart attack symptoms include, but are not limited to, tingling or discomfort in one or both arms, back, shoulder, neck or jaw, shortness of breath, cold sweat, unusual tiredness, heartburn-like feeling, nausea or vomiting, sudden dizziness and fainting.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is also known as coronary angioplasty. 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.

“UP Health System – Marquette has demonstrated its commitment to providing the Upper Peninsula with excellent heart care,” said Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, FACC, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board. “ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award Marquette with Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation.”

Hospitals that have earned ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation have proven exceptional competency in treating patients with heart attack symptoms and have primary PCI available 24/7 every day of the year. As required to meet the criteria of the accreditation designation, they have streamlined their systems from admission to evaluation to diagnosis and treatment all the way through to appropriate post-discharge care and recommendations and assistance in patient lifestyle changes. In addition, they have formal agreements with other facilities that regularly refer heart attack patients to their facility for primary PCI.

“I’m incredibly proud of our organization’s commitment to providing evidence-based world-class heart and vascular services right here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan,” said Joseph Ackerman, STEMI/Chest Pain Coordinator at UP Health System – Marquette. “The renewal of this accreditation speaks to the quality of not only the Chest Pain Center but Heart & Vascular services as a whole. Our communities have been and will continue to benefit from this effort.”

UP Health System – Marquette provides the largest offering of cardiovascular services in the Upper Peninsula — including general cardiology, diagnostic testing, diagnostic and interventional cardiology, clinical research, electrophysiology, rehabilitation, vascular care, and open-heart surgery. As a Duke Health Affiliate for heart and vascular care, UP Health System – Marquette collaborates with the Duke Heart Network to optimize patient outcomes, promote evidence-based medicine, improve community health and facilitate access to clinical research.

The ACC offers U.S. and international hospitals like UP Health System – Marquette access to a comprehensive suite of cardiac accreditation services designed to optimize patient outcomes and improve hospital financial performance. These services are focused on all aspects of cardiac care, including emergency treatment of heart attacks.