St. Mary’s Health Honored With AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION Award

(Evansville, IN) St. Mary’s Health has been recognized as a recipient of the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline Receiving Center Bronze-Plus award, which recognizes hospitals for consistent evidence based treatment for heart attack patients. The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program goal is to reduce system barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks, beginning with the 9-1-1 call and continuing through hospital treatment.

St. Mary’s is part of Ascension, the nation’s largest Catholic and non-profit health system. Last fall, Ascension formed its national cardiovascular care service line, inclusive of St. Mary’s Health, to ensure collaboration, effective practices and consistent programs that elevate outcomes across its sites of care in 24 states and Washington, D.C.

Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) the most deadly 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. St. Mary’s earned the award by meeting specific criteria and standards of performance for the quick and appropriate treatment of STEMI patients by providing emergency procedures to re-establish blood flow to blocked arteries when needed. Eligible hospitals must adhere to these measures at a set level for at least one consecutive 90 day interval.

“St. Mary’s is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our patients who suffer a heart attack, and the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program is helping us accomplish that goal through nationally respected clinical guidelines,” said Philip Casino MD, Interventional Cardiologist with St. Mary’s Medical Group. “We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements in cardiac care, and I am very proud of our team.”

“We commend St. Mary’s for this achievement award, which reflects a significant institutional commitment to the highest quality of care for their heart attack patients,” said James G. Jollis, MD, Chair of the Mission: Lifeline Advisory Working Group. “Achieving this award means the hospital has met specific reporting and achievement measures for the treatment of their patients who suffer heart attacks and we applaud them for their commitment to quality and timely care.”