New Chest Pain Center at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview

Patients with chest pain now have a new resource: the Chest-Pain Center at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. By calling (800) U.S. HEART (800-874-3278), chest-pain patients can speak with a cardiac nurse 24 hours a day, seven days per week. University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview is the first heart center in the region to offer this service with a 24 / 7 cardiac nurse line. (800) U.S. HEART is open to all callers with chest-pain questions, especially those who are uncertain if their chest pain needs prompt attention. Depending on their positive symptoms, patients will be advised to call 911, go to the Emergency Department on the University campus, or be seen at the Cardiovascular Center at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview no later than the next business day.

• Patients with acute, ongoing chest pain will be encouraged to call 911. Provided that they live within University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview's standard 911 service area (as determined by local paramedics), they will be advised to come to the University-campus emergency room for further evaluation.
• Patients with less-acute chest pain who are likely to be having unstable angina will be directed to come to the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview university-campus emergency room, and will be seen on arrival.
  • Patients with less-acute chest pain who are likely to be having unstable angina and are home alone will be advised to call 911.
  • Patients who do not live within a reasonable driving distance to University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview will be encouraged to go to the closest emergency room.
• Patients with chronic chest-pain syndromes who are stable will be seen in the Cardiovascular Center (Clinic 3B) or primary-care clinic (Clinic 3A) within 24 hours of their calls, or on the next business day.

All chest-pain patients who come to University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview will be triaged into well-defined care pathways, and their further management will be expedited within our system by a nurse clinician. A summary letter will be sent to each patient's primary physician within 24 hours of disposition.