Wellstar Health System, one of the largest and most integrated health systems in Georgia, leads the state in Emergency Cardiac Care Center (ECCC) designations from the Georgia Department of Public Health, Office of Cardiac Care.
Established by legislation passed in 2017 by the Georgia General Assembly, the three-level designation program aims to strengthen Georgia’s Emergency Medical Services system by identifying hospitals that provide outstanding advanced emergency cardiac care aimed at improving survival rates for heart attacks and cardiac arrest. Five Wellstar hospitals have now received the designation, including Wellstar Kennestone Hospital (Level I), Wellstar North Fulton (Level II), Wellstar Cobb Hospital (Level II), Wellstar Douglas Hospital (Level II), and Wellstar Paulding Hospital (Level II). Wellstar has the largest ECCC network in Georgia and is home to one of only two LI ECCCs in Metro Atlanta.
“Receiving the Emergency Cardiac Care Center designations further illustrates Wellstar’s ability to provide exceptional critical and often life-saving care for patients having heart attacks or other acute cardiac problems. Wellstar has a robust network of cardiology experts and services across our system so people can get the right care at the right time – no matter how routine or complex. These designations further validate our ability to offer quality cardiac care for some of our most critical patients.”
Dr. Barry Mangel, Chief cardiology officer for Wellstar Health System Cardiovascular Medicine
Wellstar Kennestone Hospital received Level I ECCC designation, the highest level of recognition for emergency cardiac care in Georgia. Level I designated hospitals must provide comprehensive emergency cardiac care services 24/7, 365 days a year. Services that must be offered include cardiac catheterization and angioplasty to treat cardiac patients with clogged, blocked or narrowed arteries, and advanced procedures such as implanting left ventricular assist devices and automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators for patients experiencing heart failure from sudden cardiac arrest.
“As a not-for-profit health system, our communities rely on Wellstar to provide the very best care, for every person, every time. For heart events, as with many medical emergencies, every minute counts. This designation confirms that we are equipped for and committed to providing the highest level of emergency cardiac care for our communities.”
Mary Chatman, Wellstar Health System executive vice president and president of Wellstar Kennestone and Windy Hill Hospitals
Wellstar North Fulton Hospital and Wellstar Cobb Hospitals received Level II ECCC designation. Wellstar Paulding and Douglas were the first hospitals in the state of Georgia to receive Level II designations earlier this year. Level II-designated facilities must meet several standards, including the performance of interventional cardiac catheterizations, established protocols for therapeutic hypothermia to treat cardiac arrest patients, and reporting data to the national Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival database.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, cardiovascular disease is the single leading cause of death in Georgia and accounts for more than 20,000 deaths annually. Additionally, approximately 350,000 persons in the United States experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OCHA) or sudden death, and about 90 percent of people who experience an OHCA die.
The Wellstar Cardiac Network delivers personalized, whole-hearted care and has been nationally recognized for performing life-saving procedures such as percutaneous coronary intervention, which restores blood flow to the heart within 90 minutes or less from the time a patient arrives in the emergency room. Wellstar also features accredited Chest Pain Centers that can quickly treat or transfer heart attack patients for enhanced patient outcomes with targeted expertise.
Individuals experiencing a heart attack, cardiac arrest, or other life-threatening illness should immediately call 911.
