Harris Health System�s Ben Taub Hospital has received the 2015 Mission: Lifeline� Gold Plus Receiving Center award from the American Heart Association for its treatment of severe heart attack patients.
The award recognizes the hospital among the best in the country for its success and prompt care of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) cases�heart attacks caused by a blood flow blockage to the heart. As a STEMI-receiving center, Ben Taub Hospital has the equipment and expertise to offer patients percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a minimal surgical procedure to quickly unclog blood vessels, and only, available in 25 percent of hospitals in the U.S.
�We are very proud to provide our patients at Harris Health and Ben Taub Hospital with superior cardiac care recognized by the American Heart Association,� says Dr. Nasser Lakkis, chief, Cardiology, Ben Taub Hospital, and chair and professor, General and Interventional Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine. �The award acknowledges that every patient who comes to our hospital with chest pain and heart attack symptoms will get quick and efficient care every hour of every day. As a matter of fact, patients at our hospital get the care they need in half the time of the national standard of 90 minutes�usually around 45 minutes.�
And time really counts. Each year, 250,000 people in the U.S. suffer STEMIs. How quickly they receive expert and timely treatment could be the difference between life and death or significant disability.
In 2011, the American Heart Association and the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care began identifying STEMI care facilities. The goal was to improve cardiac patient outcomes, improve the coordinated systems of care and identify hospitals that meet rigid standards of commitment and expertise of STEMI patients.
�We commend Ben Taub Hospital for this achievement award, which reflects a significant institutional commitment to the highest quality of care for their heart attack patients,� said Dr. James G. Jollis, chair, Mission: Lifeline Advisory Working Group, and president, North Carolina Chapter, American College of Cardiology. �Achieving this award means the hospital has met specific reporting and achievement measures for the treatment of their patients who suffer heart attacks and we applaud them for their commitment to quality and timely care.�
�This recognition is a credit to Dr. Lakkis, his leadership, dedication and the clinical excellence he and his team provide to cardiac patients in our community,� says George V. Masi, president and CEO, Harris Health System. �The award is a great honor for Harris Health, Ben Taub Hospital and the entire cardiac care team.�
To achieve the Mission: Lifeline award, Ben Taub Hospital had to achieve a composite score of at least 85 percent among the following measures, with no measure scoring less than 75 percent:
� Direct admit STEMI patients with door-to-device time at or less than 90 minutes, non-transfer
� Direct admit STEMI patients (arrival via EMS�ambulance only) with first-medical-contact-to-device time of at or less than 90 minutes
� STEMI patients receiving aspirin within 24 hours of hospital arrival
� STEMI patients on aspirin at discharge
� STEMI patients on beta blocker at discharge
� STEMI patients with LDL cholesterol levels (greater than 100) receiving statins or lipid lowering drugs
� STEMI patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction on ACEI (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor) or ARB (Angiotensin Receptor Blockers) at discharge
� STEMI patients that smoke with smoking cessation counseling at discharge
For more information on the award, visit American Heart Association�s Mission: Lifeline� Gold Plus Receiving Center.