Navicent Health Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Silver Award for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.
 
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’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication. The Mission: Lifeline initiative provides tools, training and other resources to support heart attack care following protocols from the most recent evidence-based treatment guidelines.
 
“People in our region are at increased risk for heart attack, and Navicent Health EMS is well prepared to respond to these situations. Our teams are dedicated to providing the highest quality of care for heart attack patients by utilizing the Mission Lifeline initiative. I’m pleased that our EMS teams have been recognized for their dedication to patients and achievements in the field,” said Jason Brady, Director of Navicent Health EMS.
 
Mission: 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. Navicent Health EMS work closely with Navicent Health hospitals – including The Medical Center in Macon, Navicent Health Baldwin in Milledgeville, and Medical Center of Peach County in Byron – to communicate with emergency center staff, ensuring the highest care is provided in the field, en route to the hospital, and as soon as the patient arrives at the medical facility.  
 
“EMTs and paramedics play a vital part in the system of care for those who have heart attacks,” said Tim Henry, M.D., 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 Navicent Health EMS for achieving this award in following evidence-based guidelines in the treatment of people who have severe heart attacks.”