Washington Regional Earns National, Regional Recognition for Heart Attack Care
Washington Regional Medical Center recently received three Mission: Lifeline® Achievement Awards from the American Heart Association (AHA) for heart attack care.
Washington Regional received the Mission: Lifeline® STEMI Receiving Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, Mission: Lifeline® NSTEMI Silver Award, and Mission: Lifeline® Regional STEMI Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the AHA for the treatment of patients with severe heart attacks. Washington Regional is the only hospital in Northwest Arkansas to receive the STEMI Receiving Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and the NSTEMI Silver Award.
Mission: Lifeline® STEMI Receiving Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award
Washington Regional earned the STEMI Receiving Gold Plus award by meeting specific criteria for quick treatment through emergency procedures for patients experiencing an ST elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI, the deadliest type of heart attack. Washington Regional achieved the Gold Plus designation by reaching treatment benchmarks for two consecutive calendar years, building upon its previous Silver rating.
Mission: Lifeline® NSTEMI Silver Award
The NSTEMI Silver Achievement Award was presented to Washington Regional for demonstrating an 85% or greater achievement score on measures focused on discharge treatment and referrals to cardiac rehabilitation for patients with non-STEMI heart attacks.
Mission: Lifeline® Regional STEMI Achievement Award
Washington Regional received the Regional STEMI Achievement Award as part of the AHA’s Arkansas region. The award recognizes Washington Regional’s commitment to collaborative efforts among hospitals and supporting EMS agencies to create high quality systems of care for patients who suffer severe heart attacks. This is the second consecutive year Washington Regional has been included in this regional award.
“Washington Regional is a proud participant in the Mission: Lifeline program, and we are dedicated to providing optimal care for patients with heart attack,” Washington Regional Emergency Department Director Danita Mullins said. “We are also pleased to be recognized as part of the Arkansas region’s collective dedication and achievements in cardiac care. We look forward to continuing to work with our EMS partners and delivering high quality, compassionate care for each heart attack patient in our region.”
“We are pleased to recognize Washington Regional for their commitment to cardiovascular care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and executive vice chair of neurology, director of acute stroke services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the American Heart Association’s quality improvement programs often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”
The American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline program’s goal is to reduce system barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks, beginning with the 911 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 the most recent evidence-based treatment guidelines and encourages key stakeholders to work together to implement the optimal STEMI System of Care.