Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell has received the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) NCDR Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2025. Home to the first hospital in the Mercer/Bucks County region to receive full accreditation with PCI as a Chest Pain Center, Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell is one of only 323 hospitals nationwide to receive the Platinum Performance Achievement Award.
The award recognizes Capital Health’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that the Chest Pain Center at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell has reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.
“This accreditation from the ACC validates the unwavering dedication of our entire team,” said Dr. Lara Samson, medical director of Capital Health’s Chest Pain Center. “It also demonstrates to our patients and the larger community that we remain up-to-date on the latest best practices, and they can expect to receive the highest quality emergency cardiac care backed by data from other leading programs across the country.”
“Receiving the Platinum Performance Achievement Award is a big step for our Chest Pain Center, which has been consistently recognized by the ACC for excellence in heart attack care,” said Harit Desai, medical director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Capital Health. “As part of the ACC registry, the significant contributions our doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals make to quality improvement here at Capital Health also help establish higher national standards for similar programs throughout the United States.”
To receive the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, Capital Health has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024) and performed at the highest level for specific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients.
“It is an honor to award Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell with the Platinum Performance Award for their valuable national leadership and dedication to meeting comprehensive performance measures in patient care,” said Dr. Michael C. Kontos, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, and cardiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. “The receipt of this award indicates that Capital Health remains committed to providing top quality, guideline-driven care for heart attack patients. Their success ensures patients are receiving the highest quality cardiovascular care.”
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than 800,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.
If you or someone you know is having a heart attack, calling 911 should be your first step to talk with a trained dispatcher and have an ambulance sent to your location as quickly as possible. Treatment can begin on site when the ambulance arrives and may include medication and EKG testing. If on-site testing determines that a heart attack is occurring, Capital Health’s pre-hospital alert system immediately mobilizes specialized medical teams in the Emergency Department and Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell to perform additional testing or an emergency procedure as needed when the patient arrives.
To learn more about Capital Health’s Chest Pain Center, visit capitalchestpain.org.
Call 911 immediately if you or someone you know is experiencing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.
Capital Health Heart and Vascular Institute offers comprehensive care with a multi-specialty approach highlighted by the most up-to-date techniques and treatment options. With multiple locations throughout the greater Mercer and Bucks county region, the Institute features the most sophisticated technology guided by highly trained clinical experts in medical fields such as cardiac surgery, cardiac electrophysiology, general and interventional cardiology, nephrology, podiatry, interventional radiology, vascular surgery, and wound management and hyperbaric medicine. For more information, visit www.capitalheartandvascular.org.
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is the global leader in transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health for all. As the preeminent source of professional medical education for the entire cardiovascular care team since 1949, ACC credentials cardiovascular professionals in over 140 countries who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. Through its world-renowned family of JACC Journals, NCDR registries, ACC Accreditation Services, global network of Member Sections, CardioSmart patient resources and more, the College is committed to ensuring a world where science, knowledge and innovation optimize patient care and outcomes. Learn more at www.ACC.org.