Memorial was recognized with the gold standard from Mission: Lifeline, a program created by the American Heart Association (AHA) to help ensure prompt, evidence-based care for heart attack patients.
According to the AHA, each year in the United States, more than 250,000 people suffer an ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI, the deadliest type of heart attack. A STEMI occurs when a blood clot completely blocks an artery to the heart. To prevent death, it is critical to immediately restore blood flow, either by surgically opening the blocked vessel or by giving clot-busting medication.
Hospitals involved in Mission: Lifeline is part of a system that makes sure STEMI patients receive the proper care they need, as quickly as possible.
Mission: Lifeline focuses on improving the system of care for these patients and at the same time improving the care for all heart attack patients.
“Memorial is committed to making our cardiac unit among the best in the country, and the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program is helping us accomplish that by making it easier for our professionals to improve the outcomes of our cardiac patients,” said James Hobson, FACHE, Memorial Health Care System CEO. “We are thrilled to be recognized for the dedication and achievements of our highly skilled physicians and staff in cardiac care, and I am very proud of our Memorial family.”
The American Heart Association recognizes Memorial for achieving 85% or higher composite adherence to all Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Center Performance Achievement indicators for consecutive 24-month intervals, 75% or higher compliance on all Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Center quality measures, and First-Door-to-Device time of 120 minutes or less for transfers, to improve the quality of care for STEMI patients. Memorial’s door to device time is 44 minutes.
"Memorial’s cardiovascular services team has worked hard to provide the Chattanooga community with a comprehensive program from chest pain to heart attacks, to open heart surgery, transcatheter aortic valve replacement and chronic illness such as heart failure. We strive to provide the best possible experience for our patients based on national standards,” said Diona Brown, BSN, MSHA, RN, NE-BC, vice president cardiovascular services at Memorial.