Willis Knighton Health (North) has been designated a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation for the
19 th year by the American College of Cardiology. The PCI designation means Willis Knighton uses percutaneous
coronary intervention (PCI) as primary treatment for acute heart attacks.
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is a nonsurgical procedure that opens narrowed or blocked
coronary arteries with various devices such as balloons, stents, atherectomy devices and lithotripsy to relieve
symptoms of heart disease or reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack.
“Receiving the American College of Cardiology Chest Pain Accreditation demonstrates Willis Knighton Health’s
commitment to optimizing cardiovascular care,” said Kathy Walker, director of Willis Knighton Heart &
Vascular Institute. “This achievement validates that we uphold standards of excellence for the well-being of
patients in our community and the entire region and meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria that leads to
better patient education and improved patient outcomes.”
To receive the accreditation, Willis Knighton successfully completed a multifaceted onsite evaluation of the
staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be having a heart attack.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 730,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. The most
common symptom of a heart attack for both men and women is chest pain or discomfort. However, women are more likely
to have atypical symptoms. Other heart attack symptoms include, but are not limited to, tingling or discomfort in one or both
arms, back, shoulder, neck or jaw, shortness of breath, cold sweat, unusual tiredness, heartburn-like feeling, nausea or
vomiting, sudden dizziness and fainting.
Willis-Knighton Health, with its Heart & Vascular Institute, features the most comprehensive heart services in the Ark-La-
Tex. As the region’s leading provider of cardiovascular services, conditions treated range from diseases of the heart to
structural heart conditions.