American College of Cardiology NCDR Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry Platinum Award Recognizes High Standards of Patient Care

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) recognizes McLeod Regional Medical Center for demonstrating expertise and commitment in treating heart attack patients. McLeod was recently awarded the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2020. McLeod Regional Medical Center is one of only 140 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor. McLeod also achieved Platinum Performance status in 2019.

This award acknowledges the commitment of McLeod to their success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and in reaching an aggressive goal of the principal levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

To receive the Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for two consecutive years, McLeod demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain  ̶   MI Registry for 36 straight months, and performed at the highest level for specific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients.

“As a Platinum Performance Award recipient, McLeod Regional Medical Center has established itself as a leader in setting the national standard for improving quality of care in patients with heart attacks,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, Chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. “By meeting the award requirements set forth in the registry, McLeod has demonstrated a commitment to providing reliable, comprehensive treatment for heart attack patients based on current clinical guideline recommendations.”

The Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry empowers healthcare provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines and establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 700,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.

“There were 10,460 heart disease deaths in South Carolina in 2018 according to the Centers for Disease Control,” said Dr. Alan Blaker, Executive Medical Director, McLeod Heart and Vascular Institute. “Of those, 5,215 would be considered deaths from a heart attack. This is why, as an accredited Chest Pain Center, the outstanding care McLeod provides heart attack patients is so important.

“Hospitals that are Chest Pain accredited emphasize the importance of standardized diagnostic studies, effective evaluations and rapid treatment for all patients with chest pain and other heart attack symptoms,” added Dr. Blaker.

As an accredited center, McLeod is recognized for having a higher level of expertise in caring for patients who arrive in the Emergency Department with heart attack symptoms. It also ensures that, as new research becomes available, the hospital continues to operate at the highest level, with best practices, to care for cardiac patients.

Chest Pain Accredited Hospitals utilize standard diagnostic studies, effective evaluations and rapid treatment for all patients with chest pain and other heart attack symptoms. The McLeod Chest Pain Center also serves as a point of entry into the healthcare system to evaluate and treat other medical conditions, helping promote a healthier lifestyle to reduce the risk factors for heart attack.