University Hospital Emergency Medical Services Receives Gold Award

NEWARK, N.J., May 19, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- University Hospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has earned a Gold Level Recognition Award from the American Heart Association's (AHA) Mission: Lifeline EMS platform. University Hospital's EMS is the only first responder in New Jersey to receive the highest award possible for service over two consecutive calendar years.

With Mission: Lifeline EMS Recognition, the AHA recognizes the success of ambulance agencies and medical first responders in implementing specific quality improvement measures for treating patients who suffer the deadliest form of a heart attack, known as a STEMI. This type of heart attack involves damage to the full thickness of the heart muscle.

"Quick treatment is critical for patients with the onset of STEMI symptoms, and University Hospital EMS is proud to be recognized for the advanced emergency care we deliver to Newark and throughout Essex County," said Gregory Sugalski, MD, Interim Chief of Service, Department of Emergency Medicine Medical Director, Emergency Medical Services. "The life-saving speed has benefited thousands of patients in the region and we will work to make even greater improvements."

For Mission: Lifeline Recognition, the AHA reviews figures from EMS providers including:

• Percentage of patients older than 35 with non-traumatic chest pain, who are treated and transported by EMS and receive a pre-hospital 12-lead ECG (electrocardiogram)
• Percentage of STEMI patients transported to a STEMI Receiving Center, with pre-hospital First Medical Contact to Device (PCI) in under 90 minutes
• Percentage of STEMI patients transported to a STEMI Referring Center, with Fibrinolytic Therapy administered in under 30 minutes

Agencies that receive the Mission: Lifeline Gold award have demonstrated at least 75 percent compliance for each required achievement measure for two years and treated at least eight STEMI patients for each year.

In 2005, University Hospital EMS initiated the first STAT-MI program in the United States to improve patient care, decrease recovery time, and most importantly, save the lives of critically ill patients. This program activates the Cardiac Catheterization Lab from the field, and brings certain myocardial infarction (MI) patients straight from the ambulance to the catheterization laboratory for immediate treatment.

University Hospital is one of the nation's leading academic medical centers. Located at University Heights in Newark, New Jersey, University Hospital is a principal teaching hospital of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences and a regional resource for advanced services across many medical specialties.  For more information about University Hospital, please visit www.uhnj.org.

Media Contact:
Scott Wasserman, The Marcus Group, 973-890-9590
[email protected]

SOURCE University Hospital