University Hospital is among the top U.S. hospitals for heart attack patients
University Hospital is among an elite number of hospitals in the country to be recognized by the American College of Cardiology for the quality of care provided to patients experiencing a specific type of life-threatening heart attack called a myocardial infarction or MI.
The NCDR Chest Pain - MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2024 recognizes hospitals for their commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients, including aggressive goals for treating these patients with the most current, science-based measures outlined in the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations. That includes administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to a blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation. University Health is one of only 259 hospitals in the country to be recognized for this high standard of treatment.
Among the best of the best
“Our team’s commitment to following the strictest guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association has made a lifesaving difference,” said Dr. Allen Anderson, chief of cardiology at University Health and UT Health San Antonio. “The recognition is an external validation that our processes and procedures are among the best of the best,” said Anderson.
This award verifies that the University Hospital chest pain/MI team has demonstrated sustained achievement in following these guidelines for two consecutive years, 2022 and 2023, and has performed at the highest level on specific performance measures.
“It is an honor to award University Hospital the Platinum Performance Award for their valuable national leadership and dedication to meeting comprehensive performance measures in patient care,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, and cardiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. “The receipt of this award demonstrates their commitment to providing top-quality, guideline-driven care for heart attack patients. Their success ensures patients are receiving the highest quality cardiovascular care.”
Rapid treatment preserves the heart
“Time is muscle,” said Anderson, explaining that rapid treatment can preserve heart muscle and patient health. Within a short time of arriving at University Health, patients with chest pain will receive an electrocardiogram or EKG that measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat and helps detect heart damage. Guidelines call for patients to receive other tests and see a provider within a specified amount of time. If you are having a heart attack, for example, University Health’s heart team works to rapidly open an artery to restore blood flow to the heart.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates 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. The Chest Pain – MI Registry establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients.
