(Peoria, IL / September 11, 2011) –OSF Saint Francis Heart Hospital has received the American College of Cardiology Foundation’s NCDR ACTION Registry–GWTG Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2012.

OSF Saint Francis is one of only 164 hospitals nationwide to do so.

The award recognizes OSF Saint Francis Heart Hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients, and signifies that they have reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

To receive the ACTION Registry–GWTG Platinum Performance Achievement Award, a hospital must consistently follow treatment guidelines for eight consecutive quarters and meet a performance standard of 90% for specific performance measures.

OSF Saint Francis Heart Hospital has also received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline®
Silver Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes OSF Saint Francis’s commitment and success in implementing an exceptional standard of care for heart attack patients.

Each year in the United States, nearly 300,000 people have a STEMI, or ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, the most severe form of heart attack. A STEMI occurs when a blood clot completely blocks an
artery to the heart. To prevent death, it’s critical to immediately restore blood flow, either by surgically opening the blocked vessel or by giving clot-busting medication.

Hospitals involved in Mission: Lifeline are part of a system that makes sure STEMI patients get the right care, as quickly as possible and must adhere to established guidelines for a designated period of time to be eligible for the achievement awards.

“These awards recognize not only our excellent heart attack care but the collaborative efforts of all involved, from emergency medical services who are usually the first patient contact to the emergency room and cardiac catheterization team to the cardiac nurses and discharge planners, as well as the efforts of our dedicated analysts,” says Dr. John Rashid, interventional cardiologist at HeartCare Midwest. “With all of these efforts, the program has continued to improve and flourish and we couldn’t be more proud of all the accolades we have received. This only motivates us further to continue looking for ways to improve the cardiac care of the patients we serve.”