Mon Health EMS recognized for treatment of heart attack patients

Mon Health EMS has received the American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Award for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.

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.

"Mon Health EMTs and paramedics are committed to serving the community, like we have for many years, providing optimal care for heart attack patients," said David Custer, executive director of Mon Health EMS. "This achievement recognizes our staff's hard work, quick response and dedication to our patients."

Mon Health EMS worked with Mon Health Medical Center and WVU Medicine to meet the criterion to transmit EKGs to a hospital within 10 minutes of contact with a patient in the field.

"To receive this recognition, not only did the EMTs and paramedics have to play their role but the emergency departments and catheterization laboratories at local hospitals had to play their roles too," said Jeff Haught, chest pain center coordinator at Mon Health Medical Center.