The Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) has awarded California Pacific Medical Center Chest Pain Center accreditation, one of only five accredited Chest Pain Centers in California. This accreditation is given only to facilities that have demonstrated their commitment and expertise in providing patients with consistent quality in the delivery of emergency cardiac care based on national guidelines established by leaders in cardiovascular and emergency medicine. After a thorough SCPC evaluation, Chest Pain Center status was granted to California Pacific on May 23, 2006. “This accreditation denotes heart care excellence to our patients and our community. We wanted to demonstrate our dedication to providing quality cardiac care by becoming a Chest Pain Center,” states Richard Gray, M.D. Medical Director of the Sutter Pacific Heart Centers and California Pacific Medical Center cardiologist.

Team Effort to Improve Outcomes

According to the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in America, and approximately one in every five deaths is the result of heart attack. Recent technological advances and rapid response to heart attack symptoms can greatly reduce this statistic. Seeking care is only effective to when physicians can quickly response and diagnose patients, this means a Chest Pain Center ‘s emergency department (ED) must provide the full spectrum of emergency cardiac diagnostic services, fast-tracking patients to treatment and intervention. Dr. Richard Gray, Richard Francoz, M.D., Medical Director of Cardiology at CPMC, and Stacy Prescot, M.D., Medical Director of Chest Pain Center, worked collaboratively to strategize and develop standardized and streamlined protocol for patients experiencing chest pain. This strategy includes reducing the time to treatment during the critical early stages, when treatments are most effective to significantly reduce heart attack deaths.

Evelyn Taverna, R.N., M.S., CNS, CCRN, Nursing Coordinator of the Chest Pain Center and CPMC cardiology clinical nurse specialist, played an integral organizational role in the rigorous accreditation process. “The SCPC looked at our organizational structure to ensure that we used best-practice methods for treating our chest pain patients. The SCPC takes this accreditation very seriously; they even looked at our staff education and how we worked within the community to teach heart health. This accreditation affirms our commitment to providing excellence in cardiac care,” states Evelyn.

Additionally, Rebecca Symmons, R.N., emergency department manager, Elisa Guzman, unit supervisor, Robert Lee, cardiac services director, Daniel Fazio, cardiac catheterization manager, Rufino Francia, and Bing Tschai provided support and commitment in meeting our goal of becoming an accredited chest pain center. The emergency department and cardiac catheterization laboratory staff prides themselves on quick triage and treatment of chest pain.

Patient education is also crucial to improving outcomes. Therefore, teaching the community to recognize heart attack signs and symptoms, some of which are unique to women, is essential. Through the Center for Patient and Community Education, a CPMC medical education program funded by the Mr. and Mrs. Arthur A. Ciocca Foundation, and the Community Health Resource Center, a nonprofit organization, located at, but independent from California Pacific Medical Center, anyone can access a comprehensive array of heart health and wellness educational materials and programs.

If You Are Experiencing Chest Pain

If you are experiencing chest pain or any of the symptoms that may be a heart attack, call 911 or go to the closest Chest Pain Center emergency room. The CPMC Emergency Room Chest Pain Center is located at the corner of Sacramento and Buchanan streets.

Warning Signs of Heart Attack

Signs of heart attack can be sudden or come on slowly with mild pain and discomfort. The American Heart Association's classic warning signs of heart attack include:

Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. This pain may also include stomach or abdominal pain.

Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort. Difficulty breathing.

Other signs. These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, lightheadedness or dizziness. Palpitations or paleness. Unexplained anxiety, weakness or fatigue.

While chest pain and discomfort is the most well known symptom of heart attack for men and women, women are more likely to experience some of the other less-common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.