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Medical Center EMS receives 2018 American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Recognition Award

Medical Center EMS has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Award for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.

Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI),the deadliest type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication. 

The Mission: Lifeline initiative provides tools, training and other resources to support heart attack care following protocols from the most recent evidence-based treatment guidelines. Mission: Lifeline’s EMS recognition program honors emergency medical services for their efforts in improving systems of care to rapidly identify suspected heart attack patients, promptly notify the hospital and trigger an early response from the awaiting medical personnel. 

“Medical Center EMS is dedicated to providing the best care for heart attack patients,” said Jim Berry, Director. “Nothing is more important to us than our patients’ health — and by working together with our local First Responders as well as Emergency Department and Cardiac Cath Lab teams, Medical Center EMS has once again achieved its goal of meeting the highest standards recommended by the American Heart Association for care of heart attack victims. This best practice system of care approach not only improves the heart attack patient’s chance of survival but can also greatly improve their future quality of life by persevering heart function. We are pleased to be recognized for our commitment and achievements in emergency medical care — every day, we strive to do even better in service to our community.”

“EMTs and paramedics play a vital part in the system of care for those who have heart attacks,” said Tim Henry, M.D., Chair of the Mission: Lifeline Acute Coronary Syndrome Subcommittee. “Since they often are the first medical point of contact, they can save precious minutes of treatment time by activating the emergency response system that alerts hospitals to an incoming heart attack patient. We applaud Medical Center EMS for achieving this award in following evidence-based guidelines in the treatment of people who have severe heart attacks.”

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