Post by Editor on Mar 30, 2009 8:50:36 GMT -5
OSF SAINT FRANCIS HEART HOSPITAL HEART ATTACK
RESPONSE AMONG THE BEST IN THE STATE
(March 27, 2009) – When it comes to treating a heart attack, OSF Saint Francis Heart Hospital is tops in Peoria and among the best in the state of Illinois.
The sooner doctors can open a blocked artery and restore blood flow, the better the chance for a patient’s survival and of lessening the damage to the heart. The professional standard by which this is gauged is known as the “door to balloon” time, which refers to the interval between a patient’s arrival at the hospital and the doctor’s opening of the artery by inserting and inflating a tiny balloon.
Current standards call for a “door to balloon” time of 90 minutes or less. OSF Heart Hospital is tied for third in the state of Illinois, with 92-percent of heart attack patients having “door to balloon” times meeting or exceeding that standard.
The federal government tracks these numbers as an important measure of a hospital’s effectiveness. The rankings were based on April 2007 – March 2008 Medicare patients. The Heart Hospital’s most recent statistics from October – December 2008 show 100% of patients met the standard, with a median “door to balloon” time of 78 minutes.
It takes a collaborative effort to achieve such high standards. “These outstanding results come from the efforts of multiple partners working together. The coordinated response begins with the paramedics through the entire Emergency room team at Saint Francis Medical Center and culminates in a very rapid response by the staff in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab including the Cardiologists,” said Dr. Donald McElroy, CEO of Cardiovascular Clinical Services for OSF HealthCare System. “All of these partners have to understand the importance of accurately identifying the presence of a heart attack and speedily moving the patient through the system to save heart muscle and lives. Saint Francis Medical Center is justifiably proud to be recognized as a leader not only in Illinois but in the nation in this effort.”
Dr. George Hevesy, Emergency Department Medical Director, echoed those sentiments. “It’s based on dedicated professionals working together to achieve optimal outcomes. It’s teamwork and up front communication so we know what’s coming through the door. We started working on this process 15 years ago and really started refining it three years ago.”
As a comparison, Proctor Hospital in Peoria had a rate of 86-percent (but it was noted in the data that the number of cases was too small to determine performance reliability); Methodist Medical Center in Peoria had a “door to balloon” rate of 73-percent.
RESPONSE AMONG THE BEST IN THE STATE
(March 27, 2009) – When it comes to treating a heart attack, OSF Saint Francis Heart Hospital is tops in Peoria and among the best in the state of Illinois.
The sooner doctors can open a blocked artery and restore blood flow, the better the chance for a patient’s survival and of lessening the damage to the heart. The professional standard by which this is gauged is known as the “door to balloon” time, which refers to the interval between a patient’s arrival at the hospital and the doctor’s opening of the artery by inserting and inflating a tiny balloon.
Current standards call for a “door to balloon” time of 90 minutes or less. OSF Heart Hospital is tied for third in the state of Illinois, with 92-percent of heart attack patients having “door to balloon” times meeting or exceeding that standard.
The federal government tracks these numbers as an important measure of a hospital’s effectiveness. The rankings were based on April 2007 – March 2008 Medicare patients. The Heart Hospital’s most recent statistics from October – December 2008 show 100% of patients met the standard, with a median “door to balloon” time of 78 minutes.
It takes a collaborative effort to achieve such high standards. “These outstanding results come from the efforts of multiple partners working together. The coordinated response begins with the paramedics through the entire Emergency room team at Saint Francis Medical Center and culminates in a very rapid response by the staff in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab including the Cardiologists,” said Dr. Donald McElroy, CEO of Cardiovascular Clinical Services for OSF HealthCare System. “All of these partners have to understand the importance of accurately identifying the presence of a heart attack and speedily moving the patient through the system to save heart muscle and lives. Saint Francis Medical Center is justifiably proud to be recognized as a leader not only in Illinois but in the nation in this effort.”
Dr. George Hevesy, Emergency Department Medical Director, echoed those sentiments. “It’s based on dedicated professionals working together to achieve optimal outcomes. It’s teamwork and up front communication so we know what’s coming through the door. We started working on this process 15 years ago and really started refining it three years ago.”
As a comparison, Proctor Hospital in Peoria had a rate of 86-percent (but it was noted in the data that the number of cases was too small to determine performance reliability); Methodist Medical Center in Peoria had a “door to balloon” rate of 73-percent.