UPMC is one of the top performing hospitals in the country in treating heart attack patients

Five UPMC hospitals in central Pennsylvania have received the American College of Cardiology's NCDR Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Performance Achievement Award for 2024. UPMC Hanover, UPMC Harrisburg, UPMC Memorial and UPMC West Shore received the Platinum Performance Achievement Award, becoming one of only 259 hospitals nationwide to receive this honor. UPMC Carlisle, meanwhile, has received the Silver Performance Achievement Award, making it one of only 80 hospitals nationwide to receive this honor.

“This award recognizes UPMC's commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for our heart attack patients,” said Dr. Michael Bosak, chief of cardiovascular services at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in Central Pa. “Our entire team is committed to meeting the needs of our patients through our experienced and highly trained multidisciplinary team.”

The award demonstrates that the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in central Pennsylvania has achieved the ambitious goal of treating these patients according to the standard of care set forth in the clinical guidelines and recommendations of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association.

To receive the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, hospitals must have demonstrated sustained success in the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry and achieved excellence on certain performance measures for two consecutive years (2022 and 2023). UPMC Carlisle must have demonstrated sustained success in the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry and achieved excellence on certain performance measures for four consecutive quarters in 2023 to receive the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Silver Performance Achievement Award.

By fully participating in the registry, hospitals will be involved in a robust quality improvement process that uses data to improve adherence to guideline recommendations and the overall quality of care for heart attack patients.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that over 800,000 Americans have 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 giving aspirin upon admission and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling, and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.

“We are honored to once again receive the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum and Silver Performance Achievement Awards in 2024,” said David Gibbons, senior vice president of the Health Services Division and regional president of UPMC in Central Pa. “Our team is committed to providing patients with only the best, world-class care. This recognition is a testament to the dedication and excellence of our cardiologists, nurses and technicians.”

The Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry enables healthcare 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 for patients with coronary artery disease, particularly high-risk heart attack patients.

“It is an honor to recognize UPMC Hanover, UPMC Harrisburg, UPMC Memorial UPMC West Shore and UPMC Carlisle with the Platinum and Silver Performance Awards for their valuable national leadership and commitment to meeting comprehensive performance criteria in patient care,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee and a cardiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. “Receiving this award demonstrates UPMC's continued commitment to providing high-quality, guideline-adherent care to heart attack patients. Their success ensures that patients receive the highest quality cardiovascular care.”

Pioneers in cardiovascular health since 1956, physicians at UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in central Pennsylvania were the first in the region to perform open-heart surgery and the first to perform balloon angioplasty of the coronary arteries. Other firsts included the implantation of a drug-eluting coronary stent, percutaneous (minimally invasive) aortic valve surgery (TAVR) and the implantation of an FDA-approved percutaneous mitral valve repair device. UPMC's vascular surgeons are experts in providing exceptional care through vascular and endovascular techniques.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, visit UPMC.com/CentralPaHeart.