The Fastest Possible Care When Minutes Count
When you have a heart attack, minutes count. The sooner blood flow is restored, the less damage to heart muscle and more chance of survival. When it comes to heart attack, time is muscle. Restoring blood flow quicker gives the heart muscle a better chance to recover and avoid permanent damage.
One type of heart attack, called an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), is particularly dangerous. With a STEMI heart attack, blood flow through a major artery to the heart is completely blocked, leaving your heart with no oxygen. That makes speedy care even more critical.
To deliver the fastest possible care, Norton Heart & Vascular Institute collaborated with other health care providers, emergency medical services, air transport providers and others to deliver the fastest possible care and formed the first regional STEMI Network in Kentucky.
One call mobilizes the entire team, with a goal of opening a blocked artery within 90 minutes after the patient seeks medical help.
Norton Healthcare is the only health care system in Kentucky to receive the prestigious Mission Lifeline: Regional Trailblazer Award from the American Heart Association for being an innovator in creating a system of care for ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) heart attacks — the most severe type of heart attack.
Norton Heart & Vascular Institute’s regional STEMI network provides lifesaving care as quickly as possible, regardless of your location. Our goal is to stabilize you wherever you seek help, transport you to one of our hospitals and get the coronary artery open and blood flow restored to your heart to prevent as much damage as possible.
The American Heart Association awarded its Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Center Gold award to Norton Audubon Hospital and Norton Brownsboro Hospital and its Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Center Gold Plus award to Norton Hospital. These awards are granted when certain criteria and data are met for the care of STEMI patients, those with the most severe type of heart attack.
The American College of Cardiology has recognized Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Brownsboro Hospital and Norton Hospital as designated Chest Pain Centers with PCI, and Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital as a Chest Pain Center. Together this network provides the highest level of expertise to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack.
