Christian Hospital Receives EMS Gold Plus Award for Quality Heart Attack Treatment

Christian Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline^® EMS Gold Plus Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures to treat patients who suffer severe heart attacks.

Each 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 is critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program helps reduce barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks – starting from when 9-1-1 is called, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge. Optimal care for heart attack patients takes coordination between the individual hospital, EMS and healthcare system.

“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.”

Program participants apply for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving quality care for STEMI patients.

“Christian Hospital is honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to providing optimal care for heart attack patients,” said Brian Hokamp, Christian Hospital EMS chief. “The Mission: Lifeline program puts proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis so patients have the best possible chance of survival.”

About Christian Hospital
Christian Hospital is a 230-staffed-bed community hospital located in north St. Louis County and a founding member of BJC HealthCare, one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States. Located six miles west of Christian Hospital is Northwest HealthCare, which offers the community 24-hour emergency care and a variety of outpatient services to complement hospital services. With both locations, Christian Hospital operates the busiest emergency department in Missouri and one of the busiest hospital-based ambulance services in the state. Christian Hospital received the St. Louis Regional Chamber’s Arcus Award for Achievement in Health for its commitment to ongoing growth, improvement, community outreach and economic opportunity.

About Mission: Lifeline
The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline^® program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for acute coronary syndrome patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology clinical treatment guidelines.  For more information, visit heart.org.