Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC) has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2021. To receive this award, LHAAMC has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry for two consecutive years (2019 and 2020), and performed at the highest level for specific performance measures.
“We are one of only 212 hospitals nationwide to receive this honor,” said Sherry Perkins president of LHAAMC. “This award recognizes our commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients, and signifies that LHAAMC has reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.”
“We are honored to be recognized nationally for high standards of cardiac care,” said Dr. Scott Katzen, medical director of LHAAMC’s Catheterization Lab. “The mission of Luminis Health is to enhance the health of the people we serve. This award reaffirms our dedication and commitment to providing excellent cardiac care to our patients in their own backyard.”
That commitment was enhanced when LHAAMC launched a new cardiac surgery program. Since late December, the cardiac surgery team has performed nearly 75 open-heart surgeries. “Congratulations to our cardiac team at LHAAMC for receiving this prestigious award,” said Dr. Daniel C. Lee, Chief of Cardiac Surgery. “We are proud to be the first and only Cardiac Surgery Program in Anne Arundel County, providing our patients with integrated comprehensive heart care. Our efforts have enhanced patient experiences and improved their quality of care as well as the health of our community.”
Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry empowers health care provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines and establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients.
“As a Platinum Performance Award recipient, LHAAMC has established itself as a leader in setting the national standard for improving quality of care in patients with acute myocardial infarction,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, and cardiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. “By meeting the award requirements set forth in the registry, LHAAMC has demonstrated a commitment to providing reliable, comprehensive treatment for heart attack patients based on current clinical guideline recommendations.”
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that almost 700,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.
