Chest Pain Evaluation

Forsyth Medical Center was the first Accredited Chest Pain Center in the United States to sucessfully demonstrate the ability to synchronize treatment time between EMS, emergency room and cardiac departments within the hospital. This means we  have the systems, technology, board-certified emergency physicians and cardiologists available 24/7 to streamline care from diagnosis to rapid treatment. Forsyth Medical Center's Chest Pain Evaluation Unit assesses cardiac conditions and than determines if the patient is having a heart related illness or if it is a less threatening illness.

When a heart attack happens, you only have a short amount of time before the heart muscle is damaged. Knowing and recognizing the warning signs of a heart attack and getting to the Emergency Department immediately will improve your chances of survival and recovery.

Forsyth Medical Center's Emergency Department triages patients quickly and they are then evaluated by a board-certified Emergency Department physician. If the patient is experiencing a heart attack, the Emergency Department physician will consult a board-certified cardiologist who may recommend immediate treatment in the cardiac cath lab. This rapid treatment response has proven to increase survival rates for heart attack patients who arrive at Forsyth Medical Center.

Patients who are clearly not having a heart attack will receive a series of diagnostic tests to determine their condition. This process will also determine if the pains are a result of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastrointestinal (GI) related, gall bladder-related or other similar illnesses. Patients with any of these conditions will be released according to the recommendation of the cardiologist.