St. Luke’s is the only hospital in the state of Minnesota to have earned the 2016 Mission: Lifeline® GOLD PLUS Receiving Quality Achievement Award for heart attacks. This is the third consecutive year the American Heart Association (AHA) has recognized St. Luke’s for meeting specific quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks. In 2014, St. Luke’s received a silver award and then a gold award in 2015.

Each year in the United States, approximately 250,000 people have a STEMI, or ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction, caused by a complete blockage of blood flow to the heart. To prevent death, it’s critical to immediately restore blood flow, either by surgically opening the blocked vessel or by giving clot-busting medication. The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program’s goal is to reduce system barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks, beginning with the 9-1-1 call and continuing through hospital treatment.

“St. Luke’s is dedicated to giving patients who suffer a heart attack the most comprehensive, state-of-the-art care possible – incredibly quickly,” said Dr. Scott Mikesell, a physician with St. Luke’s Cardiology Associates, director of St. Luke’s Cardiac Cath Lab, and co-chair of Mission: Lifeline Minnesota. “It’s a privilege to work with such a talented team, so committed to delivering the nationally recognized clinical guidelines that have been established by Mission: Lifeline.”

Mikesell adds, “We can only achieve these awards through our amazing partnerships with EMS providers from throughout the region. They identify patients who are suffering heart attacks using their training and through 12-Lead ECG’s, now standard in most ambulances thanks to Mission: Lifeline. This allows us to have our team assembled and ready to go as soon as the ambulance arrives at St. Luke’s.”

The Gold Plus award recognizes St. Luke’s for having an 85% composite adherence and at least 24 consecutive months of 75% or higher compliance on all Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Center quality measures to improve the quality of care for STEMI patients.

BELOW: Dr. Scott Mikesell, DO, FACC, FSCAI, FSVM, St. Luke's Cardiology Associates