Main Line Health hospitals honored by American Heart Association for treatment of a severe type of heart attack
Bryn Mawr, PA — Main Line Health's acute care hospitals have been honored by the American Heart Association's (AHA) Mission: Lifeline® STEMI Receiving Center and Main Line Health's EMS team, based at Riddle Hospital, received the Mission: Lifeline® EMS award for excellence in the treatment of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) — a type of heart attack with high risk of serious complications and death.
Lankenau Medical Center and Riddle Hospital received the AHA's Mission Lifeline® STEMI Receiving Center Gold Plus award, and Bryn Mawr Hospital and Paoli Hospital were honored with the Gold award for offering the highest quality of rapid, research-based care. Main Line Health's EMS team, based at Riddle Hospital, received the Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold award and the Mission: Lifeline® System of Care Target Heart Attack award, which focuses on the system of care for patients.
Each year, about 285,000 people in the United States experience a STEMI 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 STEMI. Like all heart attacks, it requires timely treatment to restore blood flow as quickly as possible.
"Main Line Health is dedicated to top-of-the-line cardiovascular care, so this recognition from the American Heart Association is particularly meaningful," said Jack Lynch, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, Main Line Health. "Our patients count on us to deliver quick, lifesaving care based on research and evidence. I'm proud of our entire team and all of the first responders for their efforts and pledge to continue delivering the finest in safe, high-quality treatment."
William Gray, MD, system chief of cardiovascular diseases at Main Line Health and co-director of Lankenau Heart Institute, said participation in the AHA's Mission: Lifeline program brings a set of guidelines to STEMI treatment that is proven effective and reliable.
"Time is of the essence when patients come to us with heart attacks," Dr. Gray said. "It's the job of the cardiovascular team to move quickly to provide the appropriate intervention to restore blood flow in the blocked artery causing the problem. We are committed to collecting and reporting our data in support of the principles of the AHA's Mission: Lifeline program because they help us accomplish our goal to continuously improve care for our community."
Robert P. Girardeau, MSM-HCA, FP-C, system director, prehospital services and emergency medical services, mobile integrated health care and patient transportation services at Main Line Health, said the EMS award is important recognition, highlighting the EMS team's collaboration with hospitals.
"EMTs and paramedics are often the ones who are the first medical point of contact, providing critical care in those first crucial minutes," he said. "Once the team recognizes a STEMI heart attack in a patient, they can activate the emergency response system from a patient's living room or wherever the patient may be. This activation alerts hospitals to an incoming heart attack patient and allows physicians and staff to prepare for the patient's arrival, expediting lifesaving care by 15 or more minutes."
Recognition as a Mission: Lifeline Receiving Center is designed to showcase hospitals that provide 24/7 support for STEMI. These facilities coordinate with a network of referring hospitals and emergency medical services to provide guideline-directed STEMI and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction care.
About Main Line Health
Main Line Health® is a not-for-profit health system serving the greater Philadelphia region. The System comprises five hospitals, seven health centers, more than 160 outpatient and physician practice locations, over 14,500 employees and more than 2,200 employed and independent physicians and advanced practice providers.
Founded in 1985, Main Line Health includes four of the region’s most respected acute care hospitals — Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital — as well as Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, one of the nation’s premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine. The System also includes Mirmont Treatment Center, which provides treatment and support for substance use disorders; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice; Main Line HealthCare, its employed multispecialty physician network; Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a leading biomedical research organization; and Main Line Health Centers offering primary and specialty care, lab, radiology and other outpatient services in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Devon, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square.
Main Line Health brings together physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, researchers and other healthcare professionals across a broad network of inpatient, outpatient, home-based and community-based services. Through this integrated approach, the System delivers high-quality, comprehensive care across the continuum — from primary care and preventive services to complex specialty, surgical, trauma, emergency, rehabilitative, behavioral health, home care and hospice services — with a focus on making care accessible in the communities where people live and work.
Main Line Health also collaborates with leading clinical partners to expand access to specialized care. Through its affiliation with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, pediatric care is provided at select Main Line Health locations, including neonatal intensive care units at its acute care hospitals and Bryn Mawr Hospital’s Inpatient Pediatric Unit and Emergency Department. Jefferson Health neurosurgeons and neurointerventionalists also provide 24/7 specialized care, including neurointervention and lifesaving stroke care.