NEW YORK, June 13, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lenox Hill Hospital announced today that it has received the American Heart Association's bronze quality achievement award for implementing specific quality improvement measures for treating patients who suffer severe heart attacks.
"Each year in the United States, more than 300,000 people have a severe heart attack caused by a heart artery blockage. These attacks can kill or disable a person in minutes, but fast response by a skilled team can save many of these victims," said Kirk Garratt, MD, Associate Chair of Cardiovascular Quality and Research. "To prevent death, it's critical to immediately restore blood flow, by opening the blocked vessel mechanically or with a clot-busting medication."
The American Heart Association began a program titled Mission: Lifeline, which helps hospitals, emergency medical personnel and communities improve response times so people who suffer a severe heart attack get prompt, appropriate treatment. The program's goal is to streamline systems of care to quickly get heart attack patients from the first 911 call to hospital treatment. Working with AHA, Lenox Hill Hospital tested a "fast track" system of heart attack care that minimized time spent in the emergency room and expedited transfer of patients to the catheterization laboratory for emergency balloon angioplasty.
"Lenox Hill Hospital is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our patients who suffer a heart attack, and the American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline program is helping us accomplish that goal through existing clinical guidelines and by exploring new plans of care," said Varinder Singh, Chairman of Cardiovascular Medicine. "We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements in cardiac care, and I am very proud of our team."
The hospital earned the award by meeting specific quality criteria and standards of performance for the quick and appropriate treatment of severe heart attack patients to open the blocked artery. Before patients are discharged, they are started on aggressive risk reduction therapies such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, aspirin, ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers, and they receive smoking cessation counseling if needed. Eligible hospitals must adhere to these measures at a very high level for a designated period to receive the awards.
About Lenox Hill Hospital
Lenox Hill Hospital, a member of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, is a 652-bed, fully accredited, acute care hospital located on Manhattan's Upper East Side with a national reputation for outstanding patient care and innovative medical and surgical treatments. US News & World Report has ranked the hospital among the nation's top 50 in Cardiology and Heart Surgery, and Ear, Nose and Throat, and among the top 10 hospitals in the state of New York with a total of 10 "high performing" designations for its clinical performance in Cancer, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology and Urology. It is also recognized nationally as a leader maternal/child health and offers a wide range of services in radiology, and medical and surgical specialties.