Medical Center EMS receives national recognition for heart attack care

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Medical Center EMS has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold achievement award for offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing the most severe form of heart attack.

According to a release by Med Center Health, EMS staff are able to provide treatment upon arrival up to an hour sooner than if someone drove to the hospital.

Mission: Lifeline EMS® is the American Heart Association’s national initiative to advance care for patients with high-risk, time-sensitive disease states, such as severe heart attacks and strokes.

Med Center Health says the program help reduce barriers to quick treatment.

“The recognition is validation of the training and focus that we put into our efforts to help minimize the time it takes to care for those who have suffered a heart attack,” said Scott Ford, paramedic and field supervisor with Medical Center EMS. “We train our EMTs, Advanced EMTs, and Paramedics routinely in providing the most up-to-date care and to utilize modern technology. By training our providers to quickly recognize the signs and symptoms of heart attacks, the patients receive the appropriate care and move much more quickly through the healthcare system, giving the patient the most efficient care possible. The ultimate goal is to minimize any damage that may occur to the heart of those suffering heart attacks and to give the patient the best chance for a positive outcome.”

These awards serve as a way to recognize the roles and performances of EMS personnel in stroke and cardiac patients’ care, the release says.