AdventHealth Gordon awarded for efforts to improve rural heart attack care

The American Heart Association presents the Get With The Guidelines^® - Coronary Artery Disease Rural Recognition Silver award for implementation of quality treatment, care coordination for heart attack patients.

AdventHealth Gordon has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines^® – Coronary Artery Disease Rural Recognition Silver award for its commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing a specific type of heart attack known as an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), known to be more severe and dangerous than other types of heart attacks.

Each year, about 285,000 people in the U.S. experience this type of heart attack, caused by a complete blockage in a coronary artery.¹ Nearly 40% of people who go to the emergency room with acute coronary syndrome are diagnosed with a STEMI. Like all heart attacks, this requires timely treatment to restore blood flow as quickly as possible.

“When someone experiences a STEMI heart attack, American Heart Association guidelines call for specific actions performed in the hospital in a consistent and timely fashion to prevent further myocardial damage and to save lives,” said Stephen Sigal, MD, MS, FAHA, FACC, American Heart Association volunteer and medical director of interventional cardiology at Titus Regional Medical Center. “Where you live should not determine if you live, and rural communities deserve high-quality cardiac care. AdventHealth Gordon is recognized for consistently providing these patients with the care, guidance and medical therapy they need to give them the best chance of survival.”

The Get With The Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease Rural Recognition award is earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to treating patients according to the most up-to-date research-based guidelines for STEMI care as outlined by the American Heart Association.

“I am grateful that our team at AdventHealth Gordon is being recognized for the outstanding work of providing whole-person care to patients that have experienced a heart attack,” said Chris Self, president and CEO of AdventHealth Gordon and AdventHealth Murray.

The award recognizes hospitals for their efforts toward STEMI care excellence demonstrated by composite score compliance to guideline-directed care, including timely electrocardiogram and transfer, aspirin administration, receptor inhibitor and anticoagulant, administration of thrombolytic therapy and more.