Caldwell County Emergency Services, Division of EMS receives American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Plus Recognition Award
LENOIR, NC (JUNE 4, 2018)…Caldwell County EMS has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Plus Award for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.
Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) the deadliest type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.
The Mission: Lifeline initiative provides tools, training and other resources to support heart attack care following protocols from the most recent evidence-based treatment guidelines. Mission: Lifeline’s EMS recognition program recognizes emergency medical services for their efforts in improving systems of care to rapidly identify suspected heart attack patients, promptly notify the medical center and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel.
“Caldwell County EMS is dedicated to providing optimal care for heart attack patients,” said Chief DiBernardi. “We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements in emergency medical care efforts through Mission: Lifeline.
“EMTs and paramedics play a vital part in the system of care for those who have heart attacks,” said Tim Henry, M.D., Chair of the Mission: Lifeline Acute Coronary Syndrome Subcommittee. “Since they often are the first medical point of contact, they can save precious minutes of treatment time by activating the emergency response system that alerts hospitals to an incoming heart attack patient. We applaud Caldwell County Emergency Services for achieving this award in following evidence-based guidelines in the treatment of people who have severe heart attacks.”
About Caldwell County EMS:
Caldwell County EMS operates as the primary 911 response agency within Caldwell County, covering 474 square miles, including both rural and urban settings. With terrain ranging from the Wilson Creek Gorge to two large lakes, multiple busy highways, several industrial locations, multiple school campuses, and a population approaching 84,000 people, Caldwell County offers its emergency responders with a diverse, exciting environment to serve. Caldwell County fields 8 ambulances daily, and provides numerous Advanced Life Support (ALS) quick response vehicles (QRV’s) and back-up units which are available at all times. For more information, visit www.caldwellcountync.org/ems.
About Mission: Lifeline
The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for acute coronary syndrome patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology clinical treatment guidelines. For more information, visit heart.org.