Methodist Hospital awarded Advanced Comprehensive Heart Attack Center certification from Joint Commission

For its efforts to provide top-notch cardiac care, Methodist Hospital became the first hospital in Nebraska or Iowa and just the 15th nationally to be named an Advanced Comprehensive Heart Attack Center by Joint Commission. 

Cardiac programs undergo a rigorous evaluation process by Joint Commission to ensure they’re providing evidence-based care that leads to the best possible outcomes. Comprehensive Heart Attack Centers are able to provide primary percutaneous interventions and cardiac surgery 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

“This certification helps reinforce our patient-centered mission,” said Methodist cardiologist Jack Higgins, MD. “Our cardiac team holds high standards because each patient outcome matters and we’re committed to providing innovative and compassionate care. I also take great pride in knowing we have the opportunity to intervene during the most critical moments.”

During 2025, Methodist Hospital had a median of 58 minutes for door to balloon time – or the time when a patient enters the doors of a hospital and the cardiac team is able to diagnose a heart attack, prep them for surgery and successfully intervene. The goal is 90 minutes.

The hospital also had a median of 62 minutes for first medical contact to balloon time, which is the time from when emergency medical services make first contact with a patient until successful intervention and resolution of a blockage. The goal is under 90 minutes.

Methodist Hospital had a median of 102 minutes for door to door to balloon, which includes a transfer from a different facility, and for first medical contact to balloon with a transfer from a different facility. The national benchmark for both of those metrics is less than 120 minutes.

In total, Methodist Hospital treated 246 patients over the course of 2025 with acute myocardial infractions. A total of 76 of those were STEMI patients and 170 were NSTEMI patients.