Emergency Department

For patients who come to the Emergency Department with heart attacks or heart attack symptoms, time is of the essence. The risk of death can be greatly reduced if an emergency department is adequately prepared in advance of patients coming to the ED.

At Sherman, we have in place a process to expedite emergency care for patients who might be experiencing a heart attack. This process includes:

•	Fast track protocols for admission and diagnosis
•	Collaboration between the ED and Cardiac Cath Lab (CCL) staff members
•	Rapid notification process for the CCL team and ancillary support departments
•	Cardiologists and CCL staff on-call and present in the ED when a cardiac patient arrives

In addition to emergency care, our Emergency Department staff is trained in chest pain assessment. Angina -- or chest pain -- can oftentimes mimic the symptoms of a heart attack. But angina may be caused by any number of conditions not related to the heart, from indigestion to anxiety. Still, it’s always best to have this checked out by a doctor so that they can rule out serious heart-related problems.

Sherman Hospital has trained physicians and nurses who can evaluate chest pain and assess the possible causes.

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