University Hospital in Newark Earns Award from American Heart Association

University Hospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has earned a Gold Level Recognition Award from the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Mission: Lifeline EMS platform.

According to a release, University Hospital’s EMS is the only first responder agency in New Jersey to receive the award over two consecutive calendar years.

With Mission: Lifeline EMS Recognition, the AHA recognizes the success of ambulance agencies and medical first responders in implementing specific quality improvement measures for treating patients who suffer the form of a heart attack known as a STEMI, which involves damage to the full thickness of the heart muscle.

Agencies that receive the Mission: Lifeline Gold award have demonstrated at least 75 percent compliance for each required achievement measure for two years and treated at least eight STEMI patients for each year.

For Mission: Lifeline Recognition, the AHA reviews figures from EMS providers including:

• Percentage of patients older than 35 with non-traumatic chest pain, who are treated and transported by EMS and receive a pre-hospital 12-lead ECG (electrocardiogram)
• Percentage of STEMI patients transported to a STEMI Receiving Center, with pre-hospital First Medical Contact to Device (PCI) in under 90 minutes
• Percentage of STEMI patients transported to a STEMI Referring Center, with Fibrinolytic Therapy administered in under 30 minutes

Photo courtesy of University Hospital

Photo caption: From left, Terry Hoben, EMS Coordinator; Armand Cayer, EMS Supervisor; John Gembowiec, Director of EMS; James R. Gonzalez, MPH, FACHE, president and CEO, University Hospital; and Molly Perini, Mission: Lifeline Director, Founders Affiliate, American Heart Association.