Shawano Ambulance Service has received an award from the American Heart Association for implementing specific quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks.
The Mission: Lifeline EMS Award recognizes agencies’ efforts to treat patients who suffer a severe heart attack known as a ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI).
Award winners have demonstrated a high level of compliance with criteria required by Mission: Lifeline for three months and treated at least four STEMI patients during the year.
“Shawano Ambulance is dedicated to making our operation among the best in the country, and the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program is helping us accomplish that goal by implementing processes for improving STEMI systems of care,” said Patrick Trinko, director of operations. “We are very pleased to be recognized for our achievements in emergency medical care for STEMI patients.”
Every year, almost 300,000 people experience a STEMI, a type of heart attack caused by a complete 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 surgically opening the blocked vessel or by giving clot-busting medication.
The correct tools and training allow Emergency Medical System providers to rapidly identify the STEMI, promptly notify the medical center and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel.
“We commend Shawano Ambulance Service for this achievement award, which reflects a significant commitment to improve the quality of care for heart attack patients,” said Dr. A. Gray Ellrodt, chair of the Mission: Lifeline committee and chief of medicine at the Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. “All too many heart attack patients in the United States still fail to receive appropriate treatment for their life-threatening condition within the recommended time frames.”
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