Sioux Falls, South Dakota (September 29, 2020) – PatientCare EMS, along with its EMS community agency partners, Sioux Falls Fire Rescue, Sioux Falls Police Department and Metro Communications, has been recognized with the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Plus Recognition Award for the second year in a row. This award goes to EMS agencies for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks. This is the highest award level possible from the AHA’s Mission: Lifeline category.
Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the deadliest type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it is critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication. Healthcare providers’ action during the first several hours of a heart attack determine the level of benefit from intervention and treatment.
The Mission: Lifeline initiative provides tools, training, and other resources to support heart attack care following protocols from the most recent evidence-based treatment guidelines. Mission: Lifeline’s EMS recognition program recognizes emergency medical services for their efforts in improving systems of care to rapidly identify suspected heart attack patients, promptly notify the medical center and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel.
The Mission: Lifeline award reflects PatientCare’s commitment to excellence in patient care and meeting high standards of performance. “PatientCare is dedicated to providing optimal care for heart attack patients,” said Damian Gonzales, PatientCare’s Chief Operations Officer. “We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements in emergency medical care efforts through Mission: Lifeline and will continue to provide the highest level of service to all of our patients.”
About PatientCare EMS:
Sioux Falls PatientCare EMS is the 911 ambulance transport service for the city of Sioux Falls, serving an area of 73 square miles with a population of 180,000 residents. Its 80 employees respond to approximately 17,000 calls for service per year. PatientCare is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) and maintains Gold Level Plus status from the American Heart Association in their Mission Lifeline program. The fleet of 10 ambulances are equipped with Lifepak 15 ECG devices, Stryker Power Stretchers and Surface GoPro tablet patient care reporting devices along with state-of-the-art dispatching software. For more information visit: https://patientcarelogistics.com/locations/south-dakota/.
About Mission: Lifeline
The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for acute coronary syndrome patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology clinical treatment guidelines. For more information, visit heart.org.