Presbyterian Hospital Matthews recently qualified for the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline Bronze Quality Achievement Award for referral hospitals. This achievement brings national recognition to Presbyterian Hospital Matthews for improving survival rates and outcomes for STEMI (ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction) patients.
STEMI is the most serious type of heart attack affecting almost 250,000 annually. Unfortunately, a significant number don’t receive prompt reperfusion therapy, which is critical in restoring blood flow. Mission: Lifeline seeks to save lives by closing the gaps that separate STEMI patients from timely access to appropriate treatments. Mission: Lifeline is focusing on improving the system of care for these patients and at the same time improving care for all heart attack patients.
Hospitals involved in Mission: Lifeline strive to improve care in both acute treatment measures and discharge measures. Systems of care are developed that close the gap of timely access to appropriate, life-saving treatments. Before they are discharged, appropriate patients are started on aggressive risk reduction therapies such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, aspirin, ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers in the hospital and receive smoking cessation counseling.
Hospitals that receive the Mission: Lifeline Achievement Bronze Awards have demonstrated for at least 90 consecutive days that at least 85 percent of eligible STEMI patients (without contraindications) are treated within specific time frames upon entering the hospital and discharged following the American Heart Association’s recommended treatment guidelines.
Presbyterian Hospital Matthews and another Presbyterian facility, Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville, were two of only three referral hospitals nationwide to receive the bronze recognition as of July 1, 2011.