St. David’s HealthCare facilities receive national recognition for cardiovascular and stroke care

Austin, Texas — St. David’s HealthCare facilities recently earned the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Mission: Lifeline^® and Get With The Guidelines^® achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved and fewer readmissions to the hospital.

Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Each year, they claim more lives in the U.S. than all forms of cancer. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines.

“Our care teams continue to demonstrate unparalleled dedication to patient care and outcomes,” Ken Mitchell, MD, chief medical officer of St. David’s HealthCare, said. “The support and resources offered by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association help our hospitals streamline processes and ensure timely and consistent care.”

Mission: Lifeline

St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, St. David’s South Austin Medical Center and St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center received the Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Gold Plus award for the treatment of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) heart attack patients, while St. David’s Medical Center received the Mission: Lifeline STEMI Gold award. A STEMI is caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart, and it 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.

St. David’s Medical Center, St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, St. David’s South Austin Medical Center, St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center and Heart Hospital of Austin received the Mission: Lifeline NSTEMI Gold award for the treatment of non-STEMI heart attack patients.

Get With The Guidelines

St. David’s Medical Center, St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, St. David’s South Austin Medical Center and St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center received the Get With The Guidelines — Stroke Gold Plus award for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines. These hospitals also received the Target: Type 2 Diabetes^SM Honor Roll award by ensuring patients with type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.

Additionally, St. David’s South Austin Medical Center and St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center received the Target: Stroke^SM Elite Plus award, while St. David’s Medical Center and St. David’s North Austin Medical Center received the Target: Stroke^SM Elite award. To qualify, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster alteplase.