Improving Rural Cardiac Care

In July of 2009, Olean General Hospital embarked on a journey to improve outcomes for cardiac patients. The initiative began with the development of the hospital's chest pain center program, which represents coordination of processes for early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome signs and symptoms.

The second stage focused on rural community education and coordination of prehospital care. The goal was to improve cardiac care through timely recognition of symptoms, early activation, emergency medical services response, and appropriate prehospital care. As a result of these efforts, Olean General Hospital became one of only 10 accredited chest pain centers in New York State and, in 2013, opened a cardiac catheterization lab through a joint partnership with a tertiary health system, further improving the accessibility and timeliness of cardiac care in Western New York.