Heart attack specialists in southwest Virginia

Accredited Chest Pain Centers


All four LewisGale Regional Health System hospitals are Accredited Chest Pain Centers by the American College of Cardiology, meaning we are recognized for our quality care and continued efforts for improving care for heart attack patients.

A heart attack is a serious, emergent medical condition. It is vital to seek emergency care as soon as possible, from specialists who are experts in their field.

If you or a loved one are experiencing heart attack symptoms, call 911 immediately.

What is a Chest Pain Center?

An Accredited Chest Pain Center earns its accreditation through an evaluation of the care surrounding the treatment of patients who present symptoms of a heart attack. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) evaluates healthcare organizations for their response to chest pain patients. Our chest pain centers consistently deliver results that are significantly better than the national standards for heart attack treatment times and outcomes related to heart failure.

This means our emergency rooms are always:

  • Integrating the ER with the local emergency medical system
  • Assessing, diagnosing and treating patients quickly
  • Meeting or exceeding quality-of-care measures based on improving the process for the care of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients
  • Ensuring chest pain center personnel competency and training
  • Continually seeking to improve processes and procedures
  • Supporting community outreach and education about heart attack symptoms

Expert heart attack treatment

Our emergency care physicians and cardiologists are readily available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to care for incoming heart attack patients. Our hospitals provide extensive cardiac care services, so if you require heart surgery or an inpatient stay following your heart attack, you are in expert hands.

We also offer cardiac rehabilitation for patients recovering from a heart event, heart surgery or to manage a cardiac condition. This comprehensive program includes both inpatient and outpatient services tailored to fit your specific needs.

Signs of heart attack

Knowing the signs of a heart attack can help save lives. Familiarize yourself with the following symptoms:

  • Chest discomfort that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back (You may feel uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.)
  • Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, your back, neck, jaw or stomach
  • Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
  • Breaking out in a cold sweat
  • Nausea
  • Lightheadedness

Heart attack symptoms in women

As with men, the most common heart attack symptom in women is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience other common symptoms, especially:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Back or jaw pain

Women are less likely than men to believe they’re having a heart attack and more likely to delay seeking emergency treatment.