The ambulance service at Baptist Golden Triangle recently received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Silver Award. The service was one of three in the state recognized for how well it meets certain quality measures for the treatment of patients who suffer a severe heart attack known as a STEMI.
Every year almost 300,000 people experience a STEMI, a type of heart attack caused by a complete blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it is critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by opening the blocked vessel or by giving clot-busting medication. In both cases, time is crucial, said Edwin Mitchell, Baptist Golden Triangle’s ambulance service director.
The EMS agencies that receive the Mission: Lifeline Silver Award have demonstrated at least 75 percent compliance for each required achievement measure for 12 consecutive months and treated at least eight STEMI patients during that time.
One quality improvement measure considered for the award is pre-hospital cardiac care, or the percentage of chest pain patients older than 35 who receive a 12-lead EKG before arriving at the hospital.
Baptist Golden Triangle’s ambulance service was the first in the Baptist system and the second in Mississippi to place 12-lead EKGs on all its front-line ambulances.
A second quality measure is how quickly circulation is restored to patients suffering from chest pain with a blocked vessel. The national goal from first medical contact to device placement is fewer than 90 minutes. The average time for Baptist Golden Triangle’s EMTs and cardiac team is currently 72 minutes.
As a part of the RescueNet program, a patient’s 12-lead EKG results can now be sent from the field to the ER physician at Baptist Golden Triangle who in turn can send those same test results to the cardiologist on call who can view the data on a smart phone or tablet, regardless of his location.
“For example, the cardiologist can be out to dinner and can read the patient’s EKG before he gets to the hospital. This can save precious minutes in the evaluation process,” Mitchell explained. “There are times when (the EMTs) don’t even stop in the ER. We go straight to the cath lab,” he said.
Mitchell praised the paramedics for staying alert to potential cardiac situations, being aggressive in following protocols and working as a team when responding to patients with chest pain.
“I’m excited for these guys. They’ve done a wonderful job taking care of our patients,” he added.