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
Healthgrades - Top 5 Cardiac Surgery Program in California (2023, 2024, 2025)
Healthgrades’ Cardiac Surgery specialty award recognizes hospitals with superior clinical outcomes in heart bypass surgery and heart valve surgery. This recognition is in addition to our Concord Medical Center also being recognized by Healthgrades as one of America's Top 50 Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery.
2024 Get With the Guidelines - Coronary Artery Disease - Gold Plus
Our Concord Medical Center has earned the 2024 Get With The Guidelines® - Coronary Artery Disease Gold Plus award, which indicates a commitment to ensuring heart patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
2023 Mission: Lifeline® - STEMI Receiving Center - Gold Plus and Gold
This recognition showcases hospitals that provide reperfusion support for STEMI’s 24 x 7. These hospitals 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. Our Concord Medical Center earned the Gold Plus designation and our Walnut Creek Medical Center earned Gold.
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.
2024 Get with the Guidelines® - Heart Failure
Walnut Creek and Concord Medical Centers have earned the 2024 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.
Blue Distinction Center Designation
Our Concord Medical Center has been designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care signifying that our program meets nationally established Selection Criteria by demonstrating expertise in the delivery of high quality, safe and effective cardiac care.