Strongsville Fire and Emergency Services has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Plus Award for 2019. The department has received this award for the past several years.
The distinguished award is presented for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.
Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the deadliest type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.
The Mission: Lifeline initiative provides tools, training and other resources to support heart attack care following protocols from the most recent evidence-based treatment guidelines. Mission: Lifeline’s EMS recognition program recognizes emergency medical services for their efforts in improving systems of care to rapidly identify suspected heart attack patients, promptly notify the medical center and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel.
"Strongsville Fire and Emergency Services is dedicated to providing optimal care for heart attack patients,” said Fire Chief Jack Draves. “We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements in emergency medical care efforts through Mission: Lifeline. This recognition would not be possible without the extraordinary efforts by our paramedics on behalf of their patients. Additionally, the recognition is also a result of the support, guidance, leadership, and medical direction provided by Southwest General Health Center, Dr. Susan Tout, EMS Medical Director, and Jackie Haumschild, EMS Nurse Manager. The Southwest team is vital in the training, education, and providing the proper equipment to our paramedics so they can achieve this high level of success. We are successful in treating these cardiac patients because everyone does their part to provide quality medical care in the prehospital setting, in the emergency department, and in the cardiac unit.”