If you or a loved one experiences signs and symptoms of a heart attack, you want to get the best care possible – fast. San Juan Regional Medical Center is an accredited Chest Pain Center, committed to providing quality heart care to our community. We are trained to act quickly when a suspected heart attack occurs to save lives and prevent critical damage to heart tissue. To accelerate cardiac care, we offer point-of-care troponin testing. This initiative has been so successful, we received the New Mexico Hospital Association’s 2024 Quest for Excellence top overall hospital award.
When a patient comes into the Emergency Department experiencing chest pain, one step taken to diagnose a heart attack is to test the patient’s blood for troponin, which indicates damage to the heart. Through a collaboration with the Emergency Department and Laboratory, we introduced point-of-care troponin testing. This allows our laboratory staff to deliver rapid results with unparalleled efficiency and dramatically reduces the time it takes to diagnose and treat heart attacks.
“Continuous process improvement is essential in delivering high-quality healthcare, especially for our chest pain patients. This effort not only streamlined our workflows but also ensured that patients experiencing myocardial infarction receive timely and effective treatment. It’s a testament to our commitment to working together for better patient outcomes throughout their healthcare journey,” said Dr. Robert Underwood, Chief Medical Officer at San Juan Regional Medical Center.
“Faster testing, better outcomes, and a focus on quality—this is how we ensure our patients get the care they deserve, even in critical moments," added San Juan Regional Medical Center’s President and CEO Jason Rounds.
To learn more about the comprehensive array of cardiac services we offer through San Juan Regional Medical Center and San Juan Regional Heart Center, visit https://www.sanjuanregional.com/heartcare. We also encourage you to learn about the early warning signs of a heart attack and take the Early Heart Attack Care Oath.