Freeman Earns Top Award from American Heart Association

Joplin, MO - Freeman Health System has received the 2020 Mission: Lifeline® NSTEMI Gold Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who suffer heart attacks. A step up from the 2019 Mission: Lifeline® NSTEMI Silver Quality Achievement Award Freeman was honored to receive.

The goal of the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program is to reduce system barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks, from the 9-1-1 call to EMS transport and continuing through hospital 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.

The 2020 Mission: Lifeline® NSTEMI award is based on achieving performance standards in each of the Mission: Lifeline quality achievement measures from the analysis of 2019 data entered into the Get With The Guidelines® – Coronary Artery Disease AMI registry. 

“The Get With the Guidelines program helps us continually improve patient care,” says Paula Baker, Freeman President and Chief Executive Officer. “We’re proud of the determination, expertise and compassion demonstrated by our team at Freeman Heart & Vascular Institute and our Emergency Department where patients get their first care. This gold-level award for non-STEMI heart attack care acknowledges the depth of Freeman Health System’s commitment to improving outcomes for patients.”

Freeman Health System earned the award by meeting specific criteria and standards of performance for the quick and appropriate treatment of NSTEMI heart attack patients by providing emergency procedures to re-establish blood flow to blocked arteries when needed.

“We commend Freeman Health System for this award in recognition for following evidence-based guidelines for timely heart attack treatment,” said 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.”

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About Freeman Health System

Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. In 2019, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers. U.S. News & World Report named Freeman Health System the Best Hospital in Southwest Missouri for 2019. With more than 300 physicians on staff representing more than 70 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services and women’s services. Additionally, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com.                                     

About Mission: Lifeline

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for STEMI patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation clinical treatment guidelines.  For more information, visit heart.org.