Bronson was southwest Michigan's first accredited Chest Pain Center, and has full Cycle II accreditation with PCI. More than 2,000 people with chest pain come to Bronson for testing and treatment each year.
Why Choose Bronson for Chest Pain?
- More people in Kalamazoo County prefer Bronson for treatment of chest pain.
- Bronson is southwest Michigan's first accredited Chest Pain Emergency Center and the region's only Top 100 Heart Hospital.
- Bronson Chest Pain Center patients receive all needed testing - from blood testing and EKGs to cardiac nuclear stress tests -- during their visit.
- Each room is private.
- More people in Kalamazoo County choose Bronson for emergency care.
- Bronson Chest Pain Emergency Center has received full Cycle II accreditation with PCI - the highest level of accreditation.
Just ask someone who works here, Bronson employees see firsthand all the ways we excel at heart care.
- Maggie's Story
- Carrie's Story
- Sarah's Story
- Debbie's Story
Or, ask former Kalamazoo Mayor Ed Annen.
Services
At Bronson's Chest Pain Emergency Center, the latest technology can help determine whether your chest pain is caused by heart attack, indigestion, muscle strain or other conditions. We have:
- Emergency medicine doctors, cardiologists and radiologists available 24 hours a day
- Experienced nurses with advanced cardiac life support certification and special training in heart care
- Blood tests to detect the slightest signs of heart attack
- Computerized serial electrocardiogram (EKG) for continuous information on heart activity
- Diagnostic tests, including cardiac nuclear stress testing, that can help detect problems with blood flow to the heart
- Life-saving, clot-busting drugs to stop heart attacks quickly and minimize damage
- Immediate access to the latest stent technology in our Cardiac Catheterization Lab, which is available 24 hours a day if you need further treatment right away
- Cardiac surgery, including traditional bypass and off-pump coronary artery bypass for the best possible outcomes
In the CPEC, you have a comfortable, private room. All of our diagnostic services, cardiac cath labs and operating rooms are located close by to save critical seconds in diagnosis and treatment.
Quality
You can be confident in choosing Bronson for your heart care needs. After all, Bronson Methodist Hospital is the region's only Top 100 Heart Hospital.
Top 100 Heart Hospital
The 2008 Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals®: Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success study identifies 100 hospitals in the United States that set the highest national performance levels for both clinical and managerial excellence in heart care. Bronson is the only recipient in southwest Michigan. Read more about what it means to be a Top 100 Heart Hospital.
HealthGrades
HealthGrades, one of the nation's leading authorities on hospital performance, ranked Bronson as best rated in southwest Michigan for overall cardiac care. Bronson also scored a five-star rating (the highest available) for the treatment of heart failure.
Warning Signs
You can come to the Chest Pain Center for evaluation and treatment if you have any of these common early symptoms of heart attack:
- Mild discomfort or nagging ache in the center of your chest
- Recurring discomfort that feels like indigestion
- More intense pain upon exertion that subsides if you rest
- Squeezing pain or pressure in your chest
- Shortness of breath
- Discomfort in your neck, jaw, arm and/or back
- Flu-like symptoms, such as nausea, dizziness, weakness and sweating
Women often have additional, different symptoms, including:
- Stomach or abdominal pain
- Unexplained anxiety
- Fatigue
- Cold sweat
- Paleness
In both men and women, not all of these signs are always present. You may experience some, but not all, of these symptoms. None of these symptoms should be ignored.
Act Quickly
It's hard to admit you might be having a heart attack. But if you are having a heart attack, every moment you wait causes more heart damage. Prompt action can save heart muscle and increase your chances of a full recovery.
People often fail to act in time because:
- They don't consider themselves at risk for heart attack
- It's "easier" to do nothing, for the patient and bystanders
- The idea of a potential heart attack is just too traumatic to face
- A heart attack would cause major life inconveniences
- Symptoms are confusing or misleading
- Symptoms don't seem "serious" enough to warrant immediate action
- Fear of embarrassment if it isn't a heart attack
While it may seem easier to wait or do nothing, this decision can be fatal. Of the approximately 1.5 million Americans who suffer a heart attack each year, 500,000 die. Half of them die before ever reaching the hospital. If you think you are having a heart attack, call 911 immediately.
