Uniontown Hospital Applause
Uniontown Hospital recently received the American Heart Association Mission Lifeline Gold Award for exceptional care of heart attack patients.
The Uniontown Hospital Cardiology Department, which earned bronze and silver Mission Lifeline Awards in 2014 and 2015 respectively, worked to further the facility’s commitment to ensuring that heart attack patients receive the most rapid and appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.
“Earning this award is the culmination of our commitment to ensuring the best possible care for cardiac patients,” Uniontown Hospital CEO Steve Handy said. “We are focused on being a healthy difference in Fayette County and we are committed to providing the best emergent cardiac care for our family, friends and neighbors when they need it the most.”
The Mission Lifeline Receiving Center Award was created by AHA to help ensure prompt, evidence-based care for the life-threatening type of heart attack known as STEMI, ST Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction.
Each year in the United States, approximately 300,000 people suffer a STEMI as the result of a total blockage of blood flow to the heart. Without immediate intervention, such a cardiac event is typically fatal and it becomes critical to rapidly restore blood flow to the patient’s heart with the use of clot-busting medication or through surgical procedures.
“Time is of the essence when it comes to treating heart-related emergencies,” said Sandy Thorpe, executive director of Critical Care Services and Patient Flow at Uniontown Hospital. “With every second precious, our team has worked tirelessly to ensure that each moment is utilized to provide the most efficient and effective care.”