Leon County Receives American Heart Association Award
Emergency Medical Services Recognized for Exceptional Treatment of Heart Attacks
For exceptional care and treatment of patients experiencing severe heart attacks, Leon County Emergency Medical Services (LCEMS) has received the American Heart Association’s 2018 Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Plus Award.
The national award recognizes Leon County’s training and treatment protocols that help rapidly identify and treat patients experiencing ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). STEMI is the deadliest type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart requiring timely treatment to survive. Annually, more than 250,000 Americans suffer from an STEMI.
“Yet again, our County paramedics raise the bar for patient treatment and care when seconds matter most,” said Leon County Commission Chairman Nick Maddox. “Whether responding to an accident, treating a heart attack, or providing CPR training in the community, our County paramedics set a nationwide standard for care.”
In addition to the award, the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that help save lives. In line with these best practices, Leon County paramedics are equipped and trained to identify STEMI in the field and then promptly notify the receiving facility to trigger an early response. By helping facilities prepare in advance of a transport, Leon County paramedics help increase survival rates. In fact, this training and others like it have led to a sudden cardiac survival rate in Leon County of more than 33 percent, which far exceeds the national average of 7 percent.
“For Leon County, this award recognizes our commitment to cutting edge medical technology and protocols, as well as exceptional public service to our community,” said Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long. “Our paramedics have made it a habit to exceed national benchmarks, and you need look no farther for evidence than Leon County’s exceptional sudden cardiac survival rate.”
In addition to the 2018 Gold Mission Lifeline Award, LCEMS was recognized with a Silver Mission Lifeline Award in 2016 and 2017.
For more information, contact EMS Major Sally Davis, Leon County Emergency Medical Services, at (850) 606-2100 / DavisSal@LeonCountyFL.gov or Mathieu Cavell, Leon County Community and Media Relations, at (850) 606-5300 / cmr@LeonCountyFL.gov .
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association (AHA) is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. The AHA teams with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke.
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.
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