When it comes to treating heart attacks, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, a Level I STEMI Center, is a national leader in outcomes as measured by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The STEMI team at the Washington University & Barnes-Jewish Heart and Vascular Center recently received two awards -- the Mission: Lifeline® STEMI Receiving Center Gold Recognition Award from the American Heart Association and the Chest Pain – MI Registry Bronze Performance Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology.
Both awards recognize the team of physicians and nurses for excellence in STEMI (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) care, specifically, timeliness to treatment and outcomes.
The Mission: Lifeline® Gold Receiving Quality Achievement Award is earned by hospitals implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks.
“We commend Barnes-Jewish Hospital 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.”
The Heart & Vascular Center performs over 1,200 percutaneous coronary interventions per year. A participant in the American College of Cardiology's Registry and Quality Program, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University has received a top 4-star rating in all four diagnostic catherization and percutaneous coronary intervention metrics.
Achieving these high ratings demonstrates our adherence in following the guidelines to:
- Prescribe medications following a percutaneous coronary intervention
- Reduce the chance of blood clots in new stents
- Decrease cholesterol
- Reduce the risk of heart attacks in these patients
The Chest Pain – MI Registry Bronze Performance Achievement Award recognizes commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.
“As a Bronze Performance Award recipient, Barnes-Jewish Hospital has established itself as a leader in setting the national standard for improving quality of care in patients with acute myocardial infarction,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. “By meeting the award requirements set forth in the registry, Barnes-Jewish Hospital has demonstrated a commitment to providing reliable, comprehensive treatment for heart attack patients based on current clinical guideline recommendations.”
“Recognizing our fast times to treatment and our excellent clinical outcomes are a tribute to the tireless work of our dedicated teams in the Emergency Department, Cardiac Cath Lab, and Cardiac ICU,” shared Richard Bach, MD, Washington University cardiologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. “There, continuous efforts to make superlative care a reality in the community is a testament of what these awards represent—when it comes to caring for STEMI patients, our hospital serves as a leader for top quality care, and how it continues to stand out for its uncompromising pursuit of excellence in patient care.”