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Know The Warning Signs Of A Heart Attack

It’s estimated that 85% of muscle damage takes place within the first two hours of a heart attack. While some heart attacks are sudden and intense, most start slowly with just mild pain or discomfort. If you or someone else is experiencing any of the below signs of a heart attack, please call 9-1-1 immediately:

  • Chest pain or discomfort
  • Arm tingling or pain
  • Clamminess
  • Shortness of breath
  • Jaw pain
  • Nausea and vomiting

What To Expect

Paramedics notify our Chest Pain Center team when a heart attack patient is on the way. Upon arrival, we will do a rapid assessment, including heart monitoring and a blood test to measure heart muscle damage. We may also do an electrocardiogram, if not already done by the paramedic on the way to the hospital.

If confirmed to be a heart attack, our Chest Pain Center team will perform percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as angioplasty, to open the vessels quickly as quickly as possible and restore blood flow to the heart.

We strive to ensure that our "door-to-balloon" time (from arrival to vessel-opening) averages 60 minutes or less—well below the 90-minute benchmark recommended by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.

Your Heart Is In Good Hands With Us

Both our Concord and Walnut Creek medical centers have been designated as STEMI (ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction) Receiving Centers for high-risk heart attack patients by Contra Costa County Emergency Medical Services.

The STEMI team is activated when the hospital is notified by Emergency Medical Services providers that a heart attack patient is en route to the hospital. Once the patient arrives, rapid assessment, diagnosis and, when indicated, immediate coronary intervention is provided. Our objective is to ensure that our doorto-balloon times average 60 minutes or less in accordance with guidelines set by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.

Our Locations

Emergency Room at Concord Medical Center

Emergency Room at Walnut Creek Medical Center

Awards & Recognition

We are dedicated to improving the health of the communities we serve with quality and compassion.  This is demonstrated by our consistently high patient satisfaction ratings, and in the awards and accolades received from highly respected healthcare and accreditation organizations.  

Cardiac Surgery 3-Star Rating

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has developed a comprehensive rating system for the quality of Cardiac surgery among hospitals across the country. Approximately 12-15% of hospitals received the "3-star" rating, which denotes the highest category of quality. In the current analysis of national data, the performance of our hospital in three adult cardiac procedures was found to lie in this highest quality tier, thereby receiving an STS 3-star rating for:

*** Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG), Jan 2018 - Dec 2018
*** Aortic Valve Replacement (AVR), Jan 2016 - Dec 2018
*** Mitral Valve Repair/Replacement (MVRR), Jan 2016 - Dec 2018

Cardiac Surgery Program Rated Among Top 5 in California by Healthgrades

Our Cardiac Surgery program has been recognized among the top 5 in the state by Healthgrades, a leading online resource for consumers with comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. Healthgrades’ Cardiac Surgery specialty award recognizes hospitals with superior clinical outcomes in heart bypass surgery and heart valve surgery. This recognition adds to the Concord Medical Center being recognized as one of America's Top 50 Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery by Healthgrades for four straight years.

2020 Chest Pain - MI Registry

Concord and Walnut Creek Medical Centers are the recipients of the Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2020. The award recognizes commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that JMH has reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations. To receive the Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, JMH has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain – MI Registry for eight consecutive quarters and has performed at the top level of standards for specific performance measures.

2023 Mission: Lifeline® - STEMI Receiving Center - Gold Plus

Concord Medical Center has earned the 2023 Mission: Lifeline® - STEMI Receiving Center - Gold Plus Award. Mission: Lifeline Receiving Hospital recognition is designed to showcase hospitals who provide reperfusion support for STEMI’s 24 x 7. These important facilities coordinate with a network of referring hospitals and emergency medical services to provide guideline directed STEMI and non-ST-elevation acute myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI) care for their community. 

STEMI Receiving Centers earn Gold recognition for achieving 75% or higher compliance on all Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Center quality achievement measures and 85% or higher composite adherence to all Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Center quality achievement indicators and 50% performance for “arrival at first hospital to PCI” in ≤120 minutes for transfer patients for at least two consecutive year interval to improve the quality of care for STEMI patients.

2023 Mission: Lifeline® - STEMI Receiving Center - Gold

Walnut Creek Medical Center has earned the 2023 Mission: Lifeline® - STEMI Receiving Center - Gold Award.

2023 Get with the Guidelines® - Heart Failure

Walnut Creek and Concord Medical Centers have earned the 2023 Get With The Guidelines® - Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.

Hospitals receiving Get With The Guidelines® Gold Plus Achievement Award have reached an aggressive goal of treating patients to core standard levels of care as outlined by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association® for 2 consecutive calendar years or more. In addition, those hospitals have demonstrated compliance to an additional level of quality during the 24-month or greater period.

2022 Get with the Guidelines - Stroke

Walnut Creek and Concord Medical Centers have earned the 2022 Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and also qualified for recognition on the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll and Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll. Walnut Creek Medical Center has also qualified for recognition on the Target: Stroke Advanced Therapy Honor Roll.

Hospitals receiving Get With The Guidelines® Gold Plus Achievement Award have reached an aggressive goal of treating patients with 85 percent or higher compliance to core standard levels of care as outlined by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association® for 2 consecutive calendar years. In addition, those hospitals have demonstrated 75 percent compliance to (four out of ten heart failure quality measures or four out of seven stroke quality measures) during the 12-month period.

Hospitals achieving Time to thrombolytic therapy ≤ 60 minutes in 85% or more of applicable acute ischemic stroke patients treated with IV tPA to improve quality of patient care and outcomes.

California Report on Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

The California Report on Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Surgery 2019: Hospital and Surgeon Data was released by the California Office of Statewide Planning and Development. John Muir Health Concord Medical Center is the only hospital in the state performing significantly “Better” than the state average in isolated CABG mortality outcomes. This public report provides quality ratings for the 123 California-licensed hospitals performing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in adults during 2018 and 2019, the most recent data published.

2020 U.S. News & World Report

For the fourth straight year, Concord Medical Center was one of only 37 hospitals nationwide (less than 1%) to receive a high-performing rating in the following adult procedures and conditions -- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair, Aortic Valve Surgery, Heart Bypass Surgery and Heart Failure. This year, Concord Medical Center was also rated as high-performing in Aortic Valve Surgery, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

Blue Distinction Center Designation
blue distinction center

Concord Medical Center is designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care.  The Blue Distinction Center designation signifies that our Cardiac Care Program meets nationally established Selection Criteria by demonstrating expertise in delivering quality specialty care, safely and effectively.

Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures, developed with input from the medical community. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for providers located in its own service area; for details, contact your Local Blue Plan. Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) also met cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable healthcare. Each provider’s cost of care is evaluated using data from its Local Blue Plan. Providers in CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in two Local Blue Plans’ areas, resulting in two evaluations for cost of care; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether one or both cost of care evaluation(s) must meet BDC+ national criteria. National criteria for BDC and BDC+ are displayed on www.bcbs.com. Individual outcomes may vary. For details on a provider’s in-network status or your own policy’s coverage, contact your Local Blue Plan and ask your provider before making an appointment. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for non-covered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers.