September 8, 2021 — Englewood Health’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has received its fifth consecutive American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Plus Achievement Award for the implementation of specific quality improvement measures used to treat patients who suffer severe heart attacks.
“It is an honor to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to providing optimal care for heart attack patients,” said Rick Sposa, director of emergency medical services at Englewood Health. “Our EMS team uses proven knowledge and guidelines to ensure patients have the best possible chance of survival.”
More than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the deadliest type of heart attack, every year. Caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart, this requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it is critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible.
“EMTs and paramedics play a vital part in the system of care for those who have heart attacks,” said Tim Henry, MD, 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.”
“I am incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication of our EMTs, paramedics, and supervisors in bringing state of the art cardiac care to the communities we serve. This is a well-deserved acknowledgment of the excellent care provided by our entire EMS team,” said Barbara Schreibman, MD, EMS medical director at Englewood Health.
The Mission: Lifeline program evaluates how well an organization reduces 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.