Arkansas Methodist Medical Center has received two American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards: Coronary Artery Disease Rural Recognition – Silver award, and Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Referring Center-Bronze 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.  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.

“Effective and timely care is crucial for patients experiencing a STEMI heart attack. The American Heart Association’s guidelines call for specific interventions for these patients both in-hospital and post-hospitalization,” said Abhinav Goyal, M.D., MHS, FACC, FAHA, American Heart Association volunteer, professor in the Department of Cardiology at Emory School of Medicine with a joint appointment in the Department of Epidemiology and chief quality officer for the Emory Heart and Vascular Center.

The Get With The Guidelines – Coronary Artery Disease Rural Recognition award and the STEMI Referring Center 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.

 “We are proud that our team at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center is being recognized for the important work we do every day to improve the lives of people in Northeast Arkansas and surrounding areas who experience heart attack, giving them the best possible chance of recovery and survival,” said Brad Bloemer, CEO. Arkansas Methodist Medical Center is dedicated to improving the quality of heart care, and the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines program helps us achieve that goal.” 

About Get With The Guidelines®

Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.