Methodist Hospital Nationally Recognized for Its Commitment to Quality Heart Attack Care

Methodist Hospital has received two American Heart Association (AHA) Mission: Lifeline^® awards for its commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing two specific types of heart attacks: ST elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMI) – known to be more severe and dangerous than other types of heart attacks – and non-ST elevation myocardial infarctions (NSTEMI).

This year, Methodist Hospital received the Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Gold Plus Award and the Mission: Lifeline NSTEMI Silver Award. These awards are designed to showcase hospitals that provide 24/7 support for heart attacks and coordinate with a network of referring hospitals and emergency medical services to provide guideline-directed STEMI and NSTEMI care.

“Methodist Hospital is honored to be recognized by the AHA for our dedication to providing highly specialized and compassionate care to each of our heart attack patients,” said Charles Olson, MD, interventional cardiologist with Methodist Physicians Clinic. “The Mission: Lifeline program puts proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis so patients have the best possible chance of survival, and that’s our No. 1 goal.”

Each year, about 280,000 people in the U.S. experience a STEMI, caused by a complete blockage in the coronary artery, and more than 546,000 experience an NSTEMI, caused by a partial blockage of blood flow to the heart. In 2022, Methodist Hospital treated 73 STEMIs and 116 NSTEMIs. Like all heart attacks, these require timely treatment to restore blood flow as quickly as possible.

“When someone experiences a STEMI or an NSTEMI heart attack, American Heart Association guidelines call for specific actions in the hospital as well as appropriate medications and cardiac rehab activities following a hospital stay,” said James G. Jollis, MD, volunteer for the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines^® - Coronary Artery Disease Systems of Care Advisory Work Group and cardiologist with The Christ Hospital Physicians – Heart & Vascular in Cincinnati. “Hospitals like Methodist are recognized for consistently providing patients with guidance, medication and rehabilitation opportunities that give the patient the best chance of preventing another cardiac event.”

Mission: Lifeline awards are earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to treating patients according to the most up-to-date research-based guidelines for STEMI and NSTEMI care as outlined by the American Heart Association.

About Mission: Lifeline

Mission: Lifeline^® is the American Heart Association's national initiative to advance the system of care for patients with acute, high-risk and time-sensitive disease states that threaten their life or quality of life. The overarching goals of Mission: Lifeline are to bring stakeholders together in a collaborative manner and to reduce mortality and morbidity for these patients while improving overall quality of care and patient outcomes. For more information, visit heart.org.