A formal, standardized and evidence-based approach to Chest Pain Center development and process improvement: the Society of Chest Pain Centers and Providers accreditation process.

The notion of a Chest Pain Center has continued to develop over the past twenty years. The designation of "Chest Pain Center" now applies to the entire facility, much the same as that of "Trauma Center." The Chest Pain Center model incorporates both operational and clinical considerations required to develop proper Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) care in the context of a complex health-care system. The Society of Chest Pain Centers and Providers has launched a Chest Pain Center Accreditation initiative that provides an organizational road map for success in approaching the care for patients with ACS.