Commonwealth Health Regional Hospital of Scranton receives American Heart Association accreditation for acute cardiac care

8/21/2019

SCRANTON, PA (AUGUST 21, 2019) —Commonwealth Health Regional Hospital of Scranton has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation. The accreditation program — provided by the American Heart Association — recognizes centers that meet or exceed quality of care measures for people experiencing the most severe type of heart attack, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), in which blood flow is completely blocked to a portion of the heart. The accreditation identifies healthcare facilities that meet specific criteria for lifesaving heart attack treatments that restore blood flow.

Regional Hospital of Scranton underwent reviews by accreditation specialists from the American Heart Association. Key areas in which Regional Hospital of Scranton demonstrated exceptional quality of care to receive accreditation include:

• Knowledge, facilities and equipment to perform percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), where a small balloon is inserted through a catheter to open narrowed or blocked blood vessels in the heart (coronary arteries).
• PCI readiness on a 24/7 basis.
• Coordination with emergency medical services (EMS) and referring centers (non-PCI) to prepare for immediate treatment when STEMI patients arrive.
• Facilitation of STEMI patient transport participation in a multidisciplinary team with representatives from EMS, cardiac catheterization lab, quality improvement, coronary care unit, physician and nursing staff, meet regularly to identify challenges and make continuous care improvements. As a result, Regional Hospital of Scranton will display the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation certification mark.

“Regional Hospital of Scranton is thoroughly committed to providing our patients the highest quality cardiac care centered on current scientific research,” said Ron Ziobro, Interim CEO. “The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation has highlighted our accomplishments as we strive to improve the overall treatment and care for our heart attack patients.”

The American Heart Association’s overall goal for Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation is to significantly reduce cardiac death in patients by teaching the public to recognize and react to early symptoms of a heart attack, reduce the time it takes to receive life-saving treatment and increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment administered. For more information on the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline® Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation, visit www.heart.org/missionlifeline or www.heart.org/accreditation.