Coryell EMS has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline^® EMS Gold Plus Award for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.

            Agencies that receive the Mission: Lifeline Gold Award have demonstrated at least 75 percent compliance for each required achievement measure for two years. “We are proud of EMS agencies like Coryell EMS, for the last three years, they have received recognition in our Mission: Lifeline EMS program. This year they received Gold Plus recognition, the highest award level. This award recognizes collaboration among pre-hospital and hospital providers which is the essence of Mission: Lifeline. The American Heart Association recognizes how vital Emergency Medical Service providers are to the overall success of Mission: Lifeline STEMI Systems of Care. The correct tools and training allow EMS providers to rapidly identify the patients experiencing a STEMI, promptly notify the destination center and activate an early response protocol at the awaiting hospital,” said Larissa DeLuna, American Heart Association Director of Health Informatics.  Ms. DeLuna will be presenting the award on Thursday.

      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.

      Unfortunately, a significant number of STEMI patients don't receive this prompt reperfusion therapy, which is critical in restoring blood flow. Mission: Lifeline seeks to save lives by closing the gaps that separate these patients from timely access to appropriate treatments. Mission: Lifeline’s EMS recognition program recognizes emergency medical services for their efforts in improving systems of care and improving the quality of life for these patients.

     Emergency Medical System providers are vital to the success of Mission: Lifeline. EMS agencies perform 12-lead ECGs which measure the electrical activity of the heart and can help determine if a heart attack has occurred. They also follow protocols derived from American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines. These correct tools,  training, and practices allow EMS providers to rapidly identify suspected heart attack patients, promptly notify the medical center, and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel.

"Coryell Memorial EMS has made great strides to be widely recognized as a top performing EMS. We received the Texas EMS Provider of the year two years ago and this national recognition from the American Heart Association for three years in a row. This top level award is achieved by only 3% of EMS providers nationwide. It is a great honor to receive this award. The people of Gatesville, McGregor, and Coryell County deserve the best, and I believe this demonstrates that we are providing it,” said Jeff Mincy, Coryell Memorial EMS Director.  

Coryell EMS is a part of Coryell Memorial Healthcare System, which includes a 24/hour emergency room, 25 bed Critical Access Hospital, a medical clinic with specialties including orthopedics, sleep and pulmonary medicine. To find at more visit the website at www.cmhos.org.