August 5, 2020 — Englewood Health’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team has once again received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Plus Award for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience life-threatening heart attacks.
“Earning the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Plus Award for the fourth consecutive year speaks to the continued dedication of the entire Emergency Medical Services team at Englewood Health to providing the highest level of care to our community members,” said Rick Sposa, director of emergency medical services at Englewood Health.
Every year more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the deadliest type of heart attack, caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it is critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.
“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. We applaud Englewood Health EMS for achieving this award in following evidence-based guidelines in the treatment of people who have severe heart attacks.”
Lifeline’s EMS recognition program recognizes emergency medical services for their efforts in improving systems of care to rapidly identify suspected heart attack patients, promptly notify the medical center, and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel.
Lifeline initiative provides tools, training and other resources to support heart attack care following protocols from evidence-based treatment guidelines.