NewsChannel 6’s Cardiac Arrest series, heart-related HealthBreaks, National Go Red For Women Day and a feature story on Western Baptist’s Chest Pain and Stroke Hotline kept the hospital’s cardiac service lines in the spotlight during February.

Marchita Sutton, Program Manager of Baptist Health Line, says heart awareness is important throughout the year; not just when local and national media attention are shown. In addition to taking general health information calls and placing follow-up calls to patients, the all-R.N. staff of Baptist Health Line oversees the hospital’s Chest Pain and Stroke hotline. The line is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week by a registered nurse trained to recognize symptoms of heart attack and stroke and assist the caller in making appropriate health care decisions. Dubbed the “red phone” in the Baptist Health Line office, Sutton said when the line rings, nurses take notice.

“When the red phone rings, everything else stops,” said Sutton. “The caller on the other end may be experiencing life-threatening chest pains. It’s our duty to help him or her seek medical assistance immediately, if needed.”

After the feature story on Baptist’s Chest Pain and Stroke Hotline aired on NewsChannel 6, Sutton says call volume increased dramatically. Typically, the hotline averages 15 calls a month but by the end of February, more than 58 calls had come in.

“Of those callers, 11 were immediately referred to the nearest Emergency department and 18 more were advised to call 911 for an ambulance,” said Sutton.

Sutton said that those patients who live a considerable distance away are advised to go immediately to their nearest hospital.
“In an emergency, seconds matter,” said Sutton. “Our goal, first and foremost, is to save lives.”