Salinas Valley Health Earns Mission: Lifeline Bronze Plus Receiving Achievement Award

Media Contact: Karina Rusk
831-759-1843

Salinas, CA, June 19, 2018- Salinas Valley Health has received the Mission: Lifeline^® Bronze Plus Receiving Quality Achievement Award. This prestigious award recognizes the implementation of specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks.

“Every day our medical team is saving the lives of people who have just experienced a heart attack,” says Pete Delgado, President/CEO of Salinas Valley Health. “We are committed to providing the highest standard of medical care to our patients and this award demonstrates it. We are proud of this tremendous accomplishment.”

Salinas Valley Health earned the award by meeting specific criteria and standards of performance for quick and appropriate treatment through emergency procedures to re-establish blood flow to blocked arteries in heart attack patients coming into the medical center directly or by transfer from another facility. Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (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’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.

“We commend Salinas Valley Health for this award in recognition for following evidence-based guidelines for timely heart attack treatment,” says Tim Henry, M.D., Chair of the Mission: Lifeline Acute Coronary Syndrome Subcommittee. “We applaud the significant institutional commitment to their critical role in the system of care for quickly and appropriately treating heart attack patients.”

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program’s goal is to reduce system barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks, beginning with the 9-1-1 call, to EMS transport and continuing through medical center treatment and discharge. The initiative provides tools, training and other resources to support heart attack care following protocols from the most recent evidence-based treatment guidelines.