Emergency Care

Every minute counts during a heart attack or stroke. Greenwich Hospital’s Emergency Department uses time-saving measures to ensure patients having a heart attack receive critical cardiac care, including life-saving emergency angioplasty, as quickly as possible. Protocols in place with police and ambulance services in Greenwich and Westchester allow treatment of heart attack victims to begin right away.

In partnership with Greenwich Emergency Medical Service Inc. (GEMS) and Westchester EMS, ambulances have been equipped with mobile EKG units. These allow paramedics to digitally transmit critical cardiac data to emergency department physicians. Once the information is received, ED nurses can gather necessary medications and supplies needed for treatment. If the patient is determined to be a candidate for emergency angioplasty the angioplasty team is available 24/7.

Greenwich Hospital and GEMS also jointly purchased automated defibrillators for Greenwich police cars. This allows police officers who arrive first on the scene to begin stabilizing patients.

The Chest Pain Evaluation Center

The Chest Pain Evaluation Center is a specially equipped unit in our Emergency Department that assesses patients who arrive at the hospital complaining of chest pain. The four-bed unit is equipped to handle respiratory, cardiac and other medical interventions.

Patients undergo diagnostic procedures, including blood tests, electrocardiograms and exercise stress echocardiograms to rule out cardiac disease. They receive a streamlined cardiac assessment, usually within 12 hours, by a skilled team trained to recognize and treat patients at low to moderate risk of having a heart attack.

The Chest Pain Evaluation Center is located in a private area away from others needing critical emergency care. It features remote telemetry cardiac monitoring so patients are free to walk about. Patients staying in the unit receive all the amenities (e.g., television, meals) offered to hospitalized patients.

Less than one percent of patients admitted to the chest pain unit are admitted to the hospital. For many, stress, anxiety, gastrointestinal problems, muscle issues and other factors are the cause of the chest pain. After their assessment is complete, patients are given a full report to share with their private physician.