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Tina Sheesley
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Amy Shaw
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Published on September 10, 2021

heartbeat and award

AHA STEMI Gold Cardiac Award

GAITHERSBURG, MD – Adventist HealthCare’s hospitals in Montgomery County have received national awards for high-quality care to heart attack patients. Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center and Shady Grove Medical Center have both earned the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® STEMI Receiving Center Gold.

Each year, more than 250,000 people nationwide experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction, or 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.

"Earning this distinction is a testament to the tremendous coordination of our cardiac teams and EMS partners to provide optimal care to heart attack patients," says Anthony Stahl, president of White Oak Medical Center.

"We remain committed to caring for our community using proven knowledge and quality guidelines,” said Dan Cochran, president of Shady Grove Medical Center. “This recognition demonstrates that we will do everything we can to give severe heart attack patients the best chance for survival and recovery.”

Since 2010, the goal of AHA’s Mission: Lifeline program is to reduce system barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks, beginning with the 911 call, to EMS transport and continuing through hospital treatment and discharge.

Adventist HealthCare, based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is one of the longest-serving health systems in the Washington, D.C., region, and one of the largest employers in Maryland. It includes Shady Grove Medical Center, White Oak Medical Center, Fort Washington Medical Center, Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, Home Care Services, Adventist Medical Group and Imaging. Our mission is to extend God’s care through the ministry of physical, mental and spiritual healing.

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