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Aultman Qualifies for American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline Recognition for Heart Attack Care

July 09, 2012

CANTON, Ohio (July 9, 2012) — Aultman Hospital recently qualified for the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline Silver Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes Aultman’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients that effectively improves the survival and care of STEMI (ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction) patients.

      Every year, almost 250,000 people experience the STEMI type of heart attack.  Unfortunately, a significant number don't receive prompt reperfusion therapy, which is critical in restoring blood flow.  Mission: Lifeline seeks to save lives by closing the gaps that separate STEMI patients from timely access to appropriate treatments. Mission: Lifeline is focusing on improving the system of care for these patients and at the same time improving care for all heart attack patients.

     Hospitals involved in Mission: Lifeline strive to improve care in both acute treatment measures and discharge measures. Systems of care are developed that close the gap of timely access to appropriate, life-saving treatments. Before they are discharged, appropriate patients are started on aggressive risk reduction therapies such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, aspirin, ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers in the hospital and receive smoking cessation counseling.

 Hospitals that receive the Mission: Lifeline Silver Performance Achievement Award have demonstrated for 12 consecutive months that at least 85 percent of eligible STEMI patients (without contraindications) are treated within specific time frames upon entering the hospital and discharged following the American Heart Association’s recommended treatment guidelines. 

“The Aultman Heart Center is dedicated to making our patient outcomes among the best in the country, and the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program is helping us accomplish that by promoting best-practice guidelines, providing educational resources, and working to unify EMS and hospital personnel.” said Ron Manes, acute MI coordinator at Aultman. “We‘re pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements in heart attack care, but the real reward is seeing these heart attack patients return home with their loved ones and the difference high performance care makes in their lives.”