CHI St. Vincent has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® Gold Receiving Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks. The CHI St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock earned the award for meeting specific criteria and standards of performance for quick, appropriate treatment through emergency procedures to re-establish blood flow to blocked arteries in heart attack patients coming into the hospital directly or by transfer from another facility.

“CHI St. Vincent is dedicated to providing optimal care for heart attack patients,” said CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute President Marcia Atkinson. “We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements in cardiac care through Mission: Lifeline.”

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, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge. The initiative provides tools, training and other resources to support heart attack care following protocols from the most recent evidence-based treatment guidelines.

“We commend CHI St. Vincent for this award in recognition for following evidence-based guidelines for timely heart attack treatment,” said Tim Henry, M.D., Chair of the Mission: Lifeline Acute Coronary Syndrome Subcommittee. “We applaud the significant institutional commitment to their critical role in the system of care for quickly and appropriately treating heart attack patients.”

Every year, more than 250,000 people nationally experience the deadliest type of heart attack, an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), 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. The CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute provides access to Arkansas’ largest and most diverse network of heart specialists in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Hot Springs, Searcy, Conway and more than 25 community locations delivering the latest treatments for all forms of heart disease.