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Wilson N. Jones Medical Center has been recognized as an accredited Chest Pain Center
Chest Pain Accreditation

Wilson N. Jones Medical Center has been recognized as an Accredited Chest Pain Center with PCI (balloon angioplasty), by the prestigious Society of Chest Pain Centers. To our patients, this means that WNJ has met or exceeded a variety of criteria that demonstrate excellence in cardiovascular care. Wilson N. Jones is the only hospital in the Texoma area to have received this accreditation.

The primary goal of a Chest Pain Center is to significantly reduce the time it takes for a patient experiencing symptoms of a possible heart attack to see a physician, thus reducing the time to treatment during the critical early stages when treatments are most effective.

Key areas in which WNJ was required to demonstrate its expertise include:
  • Integrating the emergency department with the local emergency medical system
  • Assessing, diagnosing,and treating patients quickly
  • Effectively treating patients with low risk for acute coronary syndrome and no assignable cause for their symptoms
  • Continually seeking to improve processes and procedures
  • Ensuring Chest Pain Center personnel competency and training
  • Maintaining organizational structure and commitment
  • Having a functional design that promotes optimal patient care
  • Supporting community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States, with 600,000 dying annually of heart disease. More than five million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain. The goal of the Society of Chest Pain Centers is to significantly reduce the mortality rate of these patients by teaching the public to recognize and react to the early symptoms of a possible heart attack, reduce the time that it takes to receive treatment, and increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment.

Men and women often experience different signs & symptoms.

Men often, but not always, experience the classic warning signs of heart attack:
  • Uncomfortable pressure, fullness squeezing or pain in the center of the chest that goes away and comes back
  • Pain that spreads to the shoulder, neck or arms
  • Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath
Women may experience the classic symptoms, but they are often milder. Women may also have other symptoms like:
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Nausea, vomiting or dizziness
  • Back or jaw pain Unexplained anxiety, weakness or fatigue
  • Palpitations, cold sweats or paleness
  • Mild, flu-like symptoms
Learn the signs, but remember this: Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, have it checked out (tell a doctor about your symptoms). Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives - maybe your own. Don't wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1.

Calling 9-1-1 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. Emergency medical services (EMS) staff can begin treatment when they arrive - up to an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. EMS staff are also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. Patients with chest pain who arrive by ambulance usually receive faster treatment at the hospital, too. It is best to call EMS for rapid transport to the emergency room.

If you can't access the emergency medical services (EMS), have someone drive you to the hospital right away. If you're the one having symptoms, don't drive yourself, unless you have absolutely no other option.

When you're having chest pain, the faster you get the right treatment, the less damage is done to your heart.
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Wilson N. Jones Medical Center
500 N. Highland
Sherman, Texas 75092
(903) 870-4611