Even though we may try, sometimes things just can’t be prevented. For the majority of people with chest discomfort, it is impossible to confirm or rule out heart attack without testing and monitoring them over the course of several hours. The Heart Center works very closely as the only tertiary interventional resource, with six community hospitals in the region. These include Cascade Valley in Arlington, Providence Everett Medical Center in Everett, Island Hospital in Anacortes, Affiliated Health Services in Mount Vernon and Sedro Woolley, Valley General Hospital in Monroe, and Whidbey General Hospital in Coupeville.
By working together, patients entering any one of these hospitals can be quickly routed through levels of care as needed. When higher levels of intervention, such as angioplasty and cardiac surgery are deemed appropriate, they may transferred to the Heart Center. Throughout the emergency and recovery period, a patient's primary care physician is kept informed and made an active member of the care team. By fostering such collaborative relationships between outlying hospitals, the Heart Center is able to provide swift, consistent cardiac care 24-hours a day – anywhere in the region. And because patients are able to receive care locally, family members and physicians can more readily support them through their illness.
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