EMSSTAT Achieves Gold Award from American Heart Association

For the second year in a row, EMSSTAT achieved the 2016 Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Level Recognition Award. The American Heart Association (AHA) Mission: Lifeline program honors emergency medical services (EMS) and their partners in first response for outstanding outcomes in the care of patients who experience severe heart attacks.

EMSSTAT is the ambulance provider for the cities of Moore, Norman, and areas of Cleveland County. Also honored with EMSSTAT are the Norman Fire Department, Norman Dispatch, Norman Police Department, Goldsby Fire Department, Moore Fire Department, Moore Police Department and LifeNet Communications.

Levels in Mission Lifeline are Gold, Silver, and Bronze. A Gold level signifies the EMS provider has attained 75 percent or higher performance on each Mission: Lifeline EMS Achievement Measure for a consecutive 24-month interval.

The Mission: Lifeline Award also recognizes hospitals. In 2016, Norman Regional’s HealthPlex was recognized as a Mission: Lifeline Receiving Center Bronze Plus Award for quality heart attack care. The HealthPlex is also home to the Oklahoma City –metro’s first nationally-accredited Chest Pain Center.

Yearly more than 250,000 people experience a STEMI, or ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction, a type of heart attack caused by a complete blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by surgically opening the blocked vessel or by giving clot-busting medication.

Unfortunately, a significant number don't receive prompt reperfusion therapy, which is critical in restoring blood flow. Mission: Lifeline seeks to save lives by closing the gaps that separate STEMI patients from timely access to appropriate treatments. Mission: Lifeline’s EMS recognition program recognizes those emergency responders for their efforts in improving STEMI systems of care and improving the quality of life for these patients.