Several Ascension hospitals were recognized recently for their treatment of patients suffering a heart attack. Honored with the American College of Cardiology's NCDR Chest Pain — MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2023, recognizing their sustained excellence in the registry for two consecutive years (2021 and 2022), were:
- Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Milwaukee Campus
- Ascension Providence, Waco, Texas
These awards recognize the hospitals’ commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that they have reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients.
Receiving the organization’s Gold Performance Achievement Award for 2023 were:
- Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, Austin, Texas
- Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin, Texas
- Ascension Seton Medical Center Hays, Kyle, Texas
- Ascension Seton Medical Center Williamson, Round Rock, Texas
- Ascension St. John Medical Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Receiving the organization’s Silver Performance Achievement Award for 2023 was Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Ozaukee Campus, Mequon, Wisconsin.
An ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a type of heart attack that mainly affects the heart’s lower chambers. It is named for how it changes the appearance of the heart’s electrical activity on a certain type of diagnostic test. STEMIs tend to be more severe and dangerous compared to other types of heart attack.
A non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is a type of heart attack that usually happens when the heart’s need for oxygen can’t be met. This condition gets its name because it doesn’t have an easily identifiable electrical pattern (ST elevation) like the other main types of heart attacks.
The Centers for Disease Control estimate that over 800,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon hospital arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling, and cardiac rehabilitation, among others interventions.
