Lehigh Valley Hospital–Pocono has been recognized and awarded The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for chest pain certification.

LVH–Pocono is the only certified chest pain center in Monroe County to earn this award, demonstrating the hospital’s commitment to providing compassionate and effective patient care.

“This national certification recognizes the 10 years of dedicated heart care my well-seasoned team has delivered to patients,” said Karthik Sheka, medical director of cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology labs. “At LVH–Pocono we continue to provide the best quality of care and follow best-practice guidelines to treat patients promptly, effectively and safely.”

LVH–Pocono underwent a rigorous on-site review with joint commission experts. Compliance with national disease-specific care standards pertaining to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes, which includes patients with chest pain and heart attacks, was evaluated. Clinical practice guidelines and performance measures were also assessed.

By earning the Gold Seal of Approval for Chest Pain Certification, LVH–Pocono demonstrated continuum of care in the areas of:

• Compliance with consensus-based national standards;

• Effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; and

• An organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.

More than 800,000 deaths are attributed to cardiovascular disease each year in the United States.

LVH-Pocono cared for 354 heart attacks last year.

Lehigh Valley Health Network includes eight hospital campuses — three in Allentown including the region’s only facility dedicated to orthopedic surgery, one in Bethlehem, one in East Stroudsburg, one in Hazleton and two in Pottsville.

The network includes 22 health centers caring for communities in seven counties; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices and 15 ExpressCARE locations throughout the region; pharmacy, imaging, home health services and lab services; extensive inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred.